See No Evil
It wasn’t the latch that locked in place that forewarned me,
it was the resounding echo of his supplication, that bowed
filling the narthex with a presence — neither good nor evil,
His presence on holy ground, confounded even God’s fleeing wisdom —
a chasm in the purgatory I sought from the halo of his aura’s penance
I heard the whispering psalm of the church doors seal our fate
their echo in the cavernous quiescence of the nave, had broken through the heaven’s saturninity, it hissed but did not slither
He stood behind me, and my porous soul, immediately knew
I felt my strength — his aura emanating, my diaphragm trembled in time to the chanting staccato of an unknown prayer,
my fingers held together in prayer, splayed upon my sin, quieting the quakes, just as the cross comforts the believer with the perfidious promise of tomorrow
My conscience projected outward, I tenderly caressed the emotions hid in the nimbus that surrounded his intentions and there electrified I found my crowning pulse
My soul recognized him before my eyes turned to him —
even the impious eyes of the saints that stared at us in question, shamed — they did not recognize there own forgiven sins, in the sin that glorified their myth
I stared straight ahead — caught immaculately motionless.
If I didn’t move maybe he’d revere me, just as the eyes of the mournful icons that stood before me revered the sin found in the hope of the crucifixion
but the saint’s challenged us to surpass even their former transgressions — they judged us according to their past — only sin can be forgiven
My thoughts lost in the divines promise of retribution, he, he sought his forgiveness through my intercession
I leaned slightly back, onto the wall of his chest, he absorbed me exhausted, on an anguished, expletive sigh
His finger’s brushed along my hair, a blessing in reprieve, just before he whispered my name… he wasn’t calling to God
He adjusted himself, he kissed me and partook of holy communion
Heaven and Hell coalesced and Heaven mortal was impaired by the fruit of the vine,
For what we knew that we had done — Forgive me father and I don’t mean God. I saw no evil.
Copyright ©. R Tsambounieri Talarantas. June 6, 2020.
