welcoming the shuffle of the devout
ascending stone chapel steps.
As a youth, I was among them,
ascending stone chapel steps.
As a youth, I was among them,
dutiful and wide-eyed,
our untried imagination
walking in the light of the redeemed
at my father's side.
at my father's side.
The sanctuary greeted us
with the scent
of varnished pews,
leather-bound hymnals,
heavily perfumed matrons.
The bells sang
of a warring celestial realm,
of a warring celestial realm,
hidden from the sinner's eye,
where white-winged cherubs
collide with silver-tongued devils
in a storybook crusade
in a storybook crusade
for man's eternal soul.
The price of entry:
our untried imagination
laid bare upon an altar
gilded with the blood sacrifice
frightened ancestors
bargained to appease
a jealous Divine.
The promise of paradise
quickened our step,
held our gaze upward
to the heavenly chorus ringing
heard it spoken
certain of the treasures
from the bell tower.
We received it
with unquestioning assent,
with unquestioning assent,
heard it spoken
in parable and psalm,
understood it as children
counting the days
until Christmas,
certain of the treasures
awaiting god-fearing
boys and girls.
Believing came easy
Believing came easy
as skinning a knee.
**First published in In Parenthesis literary journal
**First published in In Parenthesis literary journal
