Windows

She embraced the rituals of worship
of which practicing seemed to bring calm
to a personal life bereft of its’ being

whereupon entering a sacred place of
stained glass windows and the statues
of holy saints long dead brought
daily tests to question her soul

she watched men cloaked in white robes
garnished with vestments hung about
their necks symbols of their holiness

where the incense they spread in the air
afflicted her senses but must be done
for it was said it purified & cleansed
raising up the prayers of the faithful

but nothing addressed her innocence to
enlighten her of past holy wars that spread
death to those who believed naught the same

so she entertained a communion white veil
to be replaced later by a robe of red as
she promised to put her belief in those
words written by nameless faces of others

she believed in it all until the day her
faith stood the ultimate test of the reaper
causing her heart to have a hope of its’ own

This is in response to Jamie Dedes’s Wednesday Prompt. You can see other poet’s responses at https://jamiededes.com/2017/08/16/a-puppet-dancing-in-the-dark-a-poem-and-your-wednesday-writing-prompt. The photo below was taken from the Morgue File and digitally altered by myself.

Stained Glass Window

Words fragrant with meaning, layered
edges sometimes jagged enough to cut
leaving wounds behind nearly visible
edges sometimes smooth as glass open
to reveal emotions wrought infinite

Fall leaves piled in driveways and
gutters smelling of mildew and the
mustiness found in old homes years
neglected left with windows shuttered
leaving stories behind collected, untold

Dried flowers still hanging upside down
pressed inside the pages of a forgotten
book with the scent of roses given from
a beau timeless or a casket life ending
riding waves of memories love and loss

Candles burning the aroma of vanilla in
baked goods a reminder of families in
celebration of holidays or the acrid
odor of sulphur the match blown out and
the candle snuffed ending another era