descending

from the rainbow-crossed twilight
down the narrow winding stairs
to the star-studded nightfall

from the church
to the crypt

from windows
to candles

descending far back in time
back into the sheltering earth
onto the threshold of heaven

from quiet
to silence

from proximity
to presence

the vaulted stairway awaits you
at the back of the ancient church
and hidden in your own heart

Christina Egan © 2018

(Sankt Andreas, Cologne)

This poem is best read very slowly, as if you were indeed walking down an ancient staircase at the back of a silent church…

Around the world-famous Cathedral, the twelve Romanesque churches of Cologne outdo each other in age, size, and beauty!

For German verse inspired by the mediaeval churches of Cologne, see Zugewogen, a poem on faith and destiny published in a previous edition of the Münsterschwarzacher Bildkalender.

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Photograph by 3268zauber: Traces of colour from church windows on the floor in Baden-Baden, Germany.