Lifting the Veil

Through time lapse we see swallows leave the apse
post apocalypse in the unchurched northwest, Oc-
tober after aspen have quivered their golden hope,
oil vanished from schist and shale, that final nail
silent windup radio between pews, Boggle, mah-
jong, cards wilted from a dozen thumbnails obey
cobbled rules, water sip per point, no point to rite,
bathing, blathering darkness, cursing and candles,
crucifix across the doors, melted pennies in a jar,
celery wilted with the crisper, the last deer hunted
not what we wanted having sharpened the spear
a million ghostly echoes, no more gheckoes, bane
we are and not debatable now we're no longer high
preeners nothing left to glean all time to cogitate
we waffle, wait and trace the thousand algebras
of whose intentions we will never know but shout
to nobody between rounds, remember being kids,
burn hymnals, missives, bookshelves, hesitate
over needlepointed kneelers, DVD with Bob & Bing
empty birdnest in the organ loft mud smooth tiny
tracery, evidence accumulated always past tense,
debates dwindling down the dawn, wind onward
howling, miracle granola bar reduced to a single oat.
Cripes reveal these aren't those days and let us heal
deus ex machina, three Christmas ghosts -- levitate
don't leave us here! Frankincense, myrrh and magi
nave, transept, narthex, I do believe in fairies ere
we breathe our last for real. Deliver us from evil
Blue Angels screaming annunciation shaking stained
glass shattering laughter another bell for Adano.