she prays while he swears

he wants to pray, but his head is full of philosophies

theologies, theodicies, Divine Command Theories
determinism cannot extend to mundanities
divinity cannot be concerned about matters small as these
(and that dark night when the world stopped)

he wants to pray, but his hands are full of practicalities
an entire car balanced over his head
nuts and bolts frozen by winters past
expensive peril at every turn
defeat knocking at the garage door

but when that $90 oxygen sensor
held fast by rust and time
coaxed by a patient torch
and torqued by a longer wrench
finally creaks almost imperceptibly
a sixteenth of a turn toward victory
the ‘thank you’ he breathes out
is utterly reflexive
and undeniable