Original poem reprinted online here: "St. Joseph, Abscondus" by Robert Gibb Originally read: June 30, 2013 More information about the Poet: Robert Gibb It wasn't until I read his bio on wikipedia that I found out he's from Homestead, Pennsylvania. That would make sense for the first stanza. However, I wonder, did I need to know that Homestead is where he's from for this poem. No not really. "Homestead" is precise of a place which contrasts the religious imagery in the poem. Past me wrote that the poem's structure was in tercets (up until the end) and this plays a part in the discussion of religion and place. In the first stanza, presents the disappearance of the saint, "He's missing from the only kind of heaven / We have left in Homestead" -- the abscondus in the title refers to his disappearance as well. And as if to eulogize him, the speaker takes the name of Saint Joseph, and describes him as a, "plate-headed saint / Who...
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