A Church, Hale County, Alabama — Two Voices​

Issue 17

                       After photographs by William Christenberry
 
 
1/
 
Most days go by faster than a vintage Oldsmobile
kicking up dust. But all is calm here, as if the world stopped. 
Just a warm breeze whispering among cotton plants.
 
We’ve turned off the road into a clearing,
devoid of all things, people and cars, 
except this wooden church, framed by longleaf pines.
 
Shoebox hall with steep-pitched gable roof,
steps to the front door, a bell tower either side,
each ascending to neat, slate-tiled peaks.
 
Under this wide blue sky, why does an old, 
locked-up, isolated church hold our gaze? 
A longing to find what’s sacred?
 
 
2/
 
I like how you select what to dwell on. 
In a vast, hurried world, that’s not easy. 
 
I like how you circle back, 
constant in your quest. 
 
Here now, in this quiet place,
take your time, step away from time. 
 
All good is possible. 
Breathe deep, be at peace. 
 
Miracle by miracle --
is how we make the world. 

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Michael Mintrom is a poet from Aotearoa New Zealand, based in Melbourne, Australia. His poems have been published in many literary journals including: The Blue Mountain Review, Cordite Poetry Review, Dust Poetry Magazine, Feral Poetry and Art, and Halfway Down the Stairs.

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