-- Church Quiet --

John Herlihy

The church is so quiet,

Quiet as the ray of light.

Shining down in streams,

Creating heavenly glow.

The church is so quiet,

Enlivening my little world.

Sitting there feels as escape,

A choir boy at home in church.

The church oh so quiet,

As votive candles burn.

Hear sparks of the wick,

Prayer burning bright.

The church quiet, not silent,

I hear incense burning.

Scented smoke rises in the air,

Reminding me of the sacred.

Church quiet has entered me,

The shortest boy, first in line.

A boy choir echoes in rafters,

Echoes blend into the silence.

The church in hush, quiet,

The choir voices die down.

Silence, my heart pounding,

I step forward to sing solo.

Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus,

Holy is the Name of the Lord.

My voice has purity of innocence,

The innocence soars heavenward.

A little boy soloist, there alone,

Trapped inside and so scared.

The released voice is uncaged,

Transporting, setting worlds free.

The voice achingly beautiful,

Hearts of the congregation burn.

Notes rising and falling as flames,

A vast longing fills my heart.

My voice, my effort, my song,

My boyhood and my prayer.

In life, I remember very little,

But this I will never forget.

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Copyright © John Herlihy

Wednesday 7 April 2021