this is a moment
of palpable faith–
heavy-woven in silk
intricate and darkly bright
like a 12th-century
advent hymn
carolling loomed yearning
past promise
& only satisfied with birth
veni, veni Emmanuel
Latin fills my house
heavy, scented with hope
& incense
softened with residua
of old prayer
whispered in the corners
this could be a chapel
with stained-glass truths
illuminating moments
precise & perfect
but fleeting
& lost in capture
a snowflake
vanishing in the heat of my palm
***You can listen to the song here–only time you will see a Christmas carol on my blog, probably 😉
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This was very good Susan, excellent floating down until that final secular image.>KB
Thanks so much, KB. Love that carol.
Absolutely beautiful poem and I love that carol. I hadn’t heard Enya’s version before – thank you.
Thank you, Julie–glad you enjoyed. Her version is simply stunning. That particular carol always takes me somewhere else when I hear it.
Cos ingeniorum delectando pariterque monendo. 🙂
Wow–my words are a whetstone for the wits? And I please while admonishing? Damn, my Latin is dusty, man!
You are a whetstone for the wits as you give pleasure at the same time as instructing.
Your Latin is good 🙂
Hee hee. Would not go that far… Maybe say something like my Latin limps along, when pressed to be used.
Perhaps there, but transformed and unseen.
I like the way you think. Lots.