Sunshine

A shaft of light

sneaks into a shattered window.

Golden ribbons embrace the bitter darkness.

Fallen beams and a worn pulpit;

an old chapel, defeated

in its battle against time,

awaits renewal

and awaits it patiently,

slowly disintegrating

into its own lonely darkness.

Then comes a light,

a glorious beam, seeking lost souls

and radiating its warmth and brightness

throughout the sinking room.

Sharing its beauty within,

creating a long-lost emotion

in the forgotten and sacred monuments.

the feeling of a spirit

and a congregation singing praises--

inspiring tunes from within the heart.

And for a moment, time shouts its victory.

Then, slowly, the music dies away

and the light disappears.

Loneliness, once again, exists--

a cloud has covered the sun.

written January 1994