In the broken chapel
where the altar was marred
but not destroyed
I remained on my knees
my head just below
a thick swarm of gnats.
I came here to tear the building down
for boards to use to create art
like I do with faded and dilapidated red barns.
A new future was planned
for this site.
So a poster on a telephone pole stated.
I thought of all the prayers
fumbled and soaked into
these floorboards
and how those stories
would guide my carving tools
or arrange the paint colors.
I am not sure what I would do
if those dropped prayers
were in a foreign language.
copyright © 2022 Kenneth P. Gurney
Umflop 