For further inspiration, I also found the Museum's mission statement, which "invites a diverse audience to engage with religious beliefs and practices, past and present, by exploring art, artifacts, and other cultural expressions of faith. By appealing to our common human endeavor to find meaning and purpose in our lives, we hope to foster empathy and build understanding among people of all beliefs, leading to positive social change through tolerance, compassion, and kindness."
Amen to that.
Here are some of the lovely photos of the Cloister that Andi sent us:
All exude peace, but I was drawn to the last photo above, the one with the two stone chairs facing each other. The more I looked at this image, the more I was overcome with a strong sense of longing because the chairs were empty.
Having no other plan (my usual approach!) I found myself addressing this longing on the page, by imagining the world as if these chairs were not empty... and went on from there. Here is the poem that emerged:
If
another’s knees
were to sit across
from mine,
one of us might
drag a fingertip
along the window ledge
as if we were on
a train; one of us might
remark that the arches
—ah, bright arches—
form a heart; one of us
might know who poured
that concrete step;
one of us might lean
away from the chill
turning flesh to stone;
one of us might say:
sanctuary;
and the other
reply: I hear
the wheels must turn
ten thousand times.
We would talk as rams
and sheep do:
all about the grass
and how it feeds
the wide world.
---Sara Lewis Holmes (all rights reserved)
If you're curious about the Cloister, you can read more here. And if you need more loveliness in your life, here are six other beautiful poems on "sanctuary, rest, or seeking peace" from each of my Poetry Sisters:
Liz
Andi
Kelly
Laura
Tanita
Tricia
Poetry Friday is hosted today by Bridget at Wee Words for Wee Ones.
