Outside
lone mockingbird
perches on oak branch
holds his early service
Inside
Requiem—
benevolent din
spreads her arms
around hushed church
Outside
wind whirls
whips crusty leaves at
anxious autumn
Inside
cloaked in mystery
harmonies brush callused fists
rub tear stained cheeks
tongues of light
dance radiant lament
through stained-glass
Outside
sudden quiet—
has earth stopped turning
all trees frozen, seas dried up?
Inside
Dies Irae wafts over
undulating shoulders
stooped in wooden pews
choir incants
endless tangle of Latin
sounds anguish me—numb
Outside
rain begins weeping—
aeternam, aeternam, aeternam
sobbing, bleeding onto fresh-dug grave
*Inspired by Mozart Requiem- Catholic Mass for the Dead
Dies Irae- Day of Wrath, Aeternam- Eternal
Marianne has been a music teacher for 43 years. After teaching in Hong Kong, she returned to the Napa Valley and has been published in various literary magazines and reviews including Ravens Perch, TWJM Magazine, Earth Daughters and Indiana Voice Journal. She was nominated for the Pushcart prize in 2017. She is a member of the California Writers Club and an Adjunct Professor at Touro University in California.
