Cathedral Haiku

carved draperies sway
by candlelight

late gothic altar
incense and evergreen
perfume the cross

sinuous marble
six centuries of worship
seep into my head

soaring nave
marble saints and apostles
ignore the gnome

frescoed ceiling
flowing gospel scenes frown
on my furrowed brow

lofty organ pipes
proclaim a missed note
the bishop's eyebrow

rushing skyward
the fan-vaulted arches
and choir voices

fresh from mischief
a boy soprano sings bach
while I nod

above my kneeling
a fourteenth-century christ
the only smile

the sermon
oh yes the sermon
it must have been

outside great doors
a gaggle of choir boys
in soft snow