Embracing Quiet

This week's writing prompt for Poetry Thursday was to take a line offered by another writer. I chose a line from Pauline's poem Living Alone, originally posted 1/7/07 at Writing Down the Words. I made a small adaptation of Pauline's line "in this place, the walls embrace quiet" to work in this poem. I've been wanting to write a poem about the evening light at Sweeney Chapel, describing the difference in the light I've noticed as the seasons change. I'm not sure that this poem does exactly that, but that was the inspiration. Links to photos of James Carpenter's amazing window of dichroic glass that inspired this poem can be found here and here.


Evensong Embrace
(Sweeney Chapel)

I always think it should be golden
Like the sun, bedazzling bright.
So much for religious imagery.

I don't expect to find clarity
in the gloaming's shadows of window
pane light in the rainy, dying dusk

and sober brown limbs. Grey winter light
converts the blue to periwinkle,
lavender, purple, green and then teal.

Outside shadows tilt swords in battle
against the steely cross's shadow
for dominance on the window sill.

Navy slowly fades to black of night
as the canticles rise to the lofts;
I don't understand a single sound.

The acoustics may be perfect, but
in this sacred space the walls embrace
a quiet where the light reigns sublime.