Spending the Night In a Temple

Spending the Night in a Temple

The ice rains hard upon the temple walls
As the fires within keep the visitors warm
The 2 brothers deep in a fever lie head to head
And hold hands
A girl raised above them on a cot reads sacred scriptures 
Only she can understand
And the ancient grandmother and grandfather hold vigil
Over the shivering boys
The temple keepers bring bowls of food to the weary
As apparitions appear and disappear
In front of the dragon shrine
Another tired band of travelers wander in
Bringing with them a gust of frigid air
And take refuge on mattresses lined against the wall
Everyone gathers closer for warmth
Even the mouse cat braves the human presences
The boys’ fevers rise higher and higher
Hands are held more tightly
The ice falls harder echoing throughout the mountain night
And the entire temple slowly drifts into 1000 years of sleep
Copyright © | Year Posted 2019

Poem

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Wolf Avatar
February 13, 2019 at 6:44 PM
Very vivid picture you've painted here, Robert. I can visualize the whole story, right through the drift into the 1,000 years. Super first posting on the Soup! ~ gw
Fairchild Avatar
January 24, 2019 at 11:02 PM
This is one of the coolest poems I've seen! It's so VIVID! Conveys a strong sense of time and place! Marvellous!
Smart Avatar
January 24, 2019 at 11:00 AM
A great poem. I really appreciate it.
Krutsinger Avatar
January 19, 2019 at 11:04 PM
Your blank verse is beautifully written, Robert. It has a story quality that brings it alive into my mind, and it is heart-felt. Welcome to Poetry Soup my friend.
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