Cathedral columns soar, austere, and sombre grey.
Beyond them sings the choir, their miserere mei
a mournful sigh
that scarce disturbs the filtered shafts of hallowed air;
a sallow light, absorbing fervent prayer
to One on high.
The congregated souls, arrayed in Sunday best,
with rectitude stand tall, expecting to be blessed
and soon absolved.
Then, midweek sins confessed, devout in their amen,
they pledge to make amends, and leave again,
on good resolved.
Away from upright pews, they soon forget their vows.
Their consciences asleep, with Mammon some carouse,
committing sins.
These few, I fear, forget the edifice divine,
preferring bacchanal and vintage wine.
The Devil grins.
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Author Notes
'The Bridges' is a stanzaic form with a formal tone created by the long and short lines and exact rhyme scheme. It is patterned after Nightingales by English poet Robert Bridges(1844-1930).
It is:
- stanzaic, written in any number of sixains.
- metered, L1,L2, L4 of each stanza is iambic hexameter, L5 iambic pentameter and L3 and L6 are dimeter.
- rhymed, rhyme scheme aabccb ddeffe etc.
Photo by Chris Karidis on Unsplash
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