(Palermo) (Sicilia 42)

ah, lovely cathedral.
protector of power but cover from rain.
pews filled with old tourists
who find meaning here beyond the ceiling.

saints and sinners and everyone in between.
today, who to be?
to be one with morality and truth
and honest devotion to our betterment?
always.

to say that a space like this could change
that essence would be to undervalue
the church of nature.
indeed, it has.
that is precisely the point.
to worship inside, to feel protected
by the lovingly warm air and harvested rocks
carved into statues and meticulously arranged
for the dramatic effect of removing life from religion.

ah, lovely cathedral,
I dislike the rain.  so here I sit,
appreciative of the openness of space
but intensely critical of why you’re so closed.