The Shrine Poem by Alizon Kiel

It is quite possible that I do not believe in their God
It is a certainty that I neither believe in Heaven nor Hell
I do believe however in the curvature of a dark lens
In energy contoured even as our vision falls flat
.
I pray tell to the Prayer itself
I believe in the Shrine
I have no use for priests save the Holy Water they bless
The water blessed becoming the Shrine in transport
Rippled home with us to bless our children to dot their heads and smooth their cheeks
To carry the Shrine to the sick
I pray tell to the Prayer itself
I take no counsel in priests once they’re done conducting the Shrine to water
.
In the Shrine the Prayer itself is Deity
The Shrine an instrument of Prayer’s focus
Layered and layered one upon the other
Smoke on smoke
Candle on candle
Match reused and then in sand to reuse and then in sand again
Times to times after
‘Til times before
‘Til times again and soon enough
Energy on energy
Photos come up and go down
Take turns on and off the cross where Jesus roughly cries in crafted wood and his head is bleeding
.
Shrine Prayers so focused as to bend the world in on itself to the centrality of mountains
Shrine Prayers exist prior
Prior to their God
Prior to thoughts turned to Heaven turned to Hell
.
Shrine Prayers say in their saying passionate persistent compelling intense pure
Riding in with traveler’s unashamed calling out, crying voices believing
.
Travelers who say
“I was sick and it is gone and that is frightening so I come to pray that I have no fear for if I fear the prayer is broken because I did not tend it because I did not believe. So I pray stronger and stronger. I come here twice a week to keep my gift or except that it goes. But I never lose the strength of my prayer. Even when I do not believe I still come here to pray.”
.
It is quite possible that I do not believe in their God
It is a certainty that I neither believe in Heaven nor Hell
I do believe however in the curvature of a dark lens
In energy contoured even as our vision falls flat