History Through Stained-Glass Windows
The air is heavy here, history hanging in every breath
Shot through with rainbow-hued light
Dust motes, floating, drifting, flitting out of shadow
And in again.
Color, pattern, shape, whirling together in scenes from the past
Miracles, wars, moon landings – even a rock
Once resting on the lunar surface, brought down to earth at last
Now stands as a testimony
Of mankind’s otherworldly conquests
A choirgirl’s lilting voice
Echoes, then falls flat
Lost amid the seven-story chamber
Whose dizzying height dwarfs every onlooker
Towering steeples, vaulted ceilings, beams, bricks, stones
A never-ending labyrinth under the earth
Holding the bodies of 200 perished citizens
Who once walked the halls of America’s history
Forever to rest in darkness’ embrace
The nation’s children gather here
Bringing prayers from every religion, uniting faiths
All one, in this temple
Built for our country, a house of prayer for all peoples
To lift up their pains and praises
Amid shadows, sunbeams, and silence –
The National Cathedral.
Copyright © Kathryn Bragg | Year Posted 2018
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