Come, the stone church invites.
Linger, pause, cease that ceaseless wandering.
Wonder at this creation, this celebration of man’s permanence and devotion.
Grateful for this welcome welcome,
I pause behind the sturdy fence, pondering, wondering about the need for pointed steel spikes to be guarding a place of sanctuary, of worship.
Worshipful,
instead I bow my head
to Nature’s softness, its beauty, its quiet joy. To this timeless, expectationless gift offered in exchange for nothing.
Nothing more than time. Captivated, time stops,
as I bury my nose and smile
at the prayer not spoken within, but inhaled, without.
Chris Wardle (Hamza) works at being happy and grateful, while writing with an eye for wonder, a taste for questions, and a sense of proximity to the Sacred. A relative newcomer to sharing his poetry, he has been published in: Blue Minaret; and Pandemonium (2022); and Green Ink Poetry (2023).