A day hath gone since water crash'd upon
the slopes above the city, flooding all
the streets, canals and buildings' storeys low,
and whilst the streets did flow with current's might
the Chaplain opened his cathedral's doors,
for steps that keep the chapel over street
prevented it from flooding like the rest
of all the structures by the centre square,
and let the panick'd populace inside
to shelter those who manag'd trek the streets, 10
wherein they sang to pass the time and keep
their frighten'd children up with spirits high,
and shar'd what little bread the baker brought,
and little meat from butcher, and so on
until the floods receded from the streets
to fill canals, whose sluices now are up
to channel water more toward the streets
of poorer districts for a second time
this year t'relieve canals and mitigate
what further damages may still occur 20
upon the richer districts ere it's done.
The Chaplain, having usher'd out the last
of those remaining in his chapel now
decides to close and lock the church's doors,
for with the floods subsiding may he have
his privacy again. He turns toward
the chapel and he ambles past the rows
of pews along the wall to far of right
to enter past a portal in behind
the dais, to a corridor where he 30
ascends a stairwell to another hall
the bedrooms of his nuns and friars branch
from, where he takes a ring of keys from in
his pocket, picking out the proper key
and proper door to twist the instrument
inside to open up into a room
wherein the Doll is lying on a bed.
Returning keys toward the pocket same
and making sure his dagger's still conceal'd,
he sits upon the bed, observing her; 40
she hathn't wash'd in days; her hair is slick
with grease and sticks the tufts together o'er
her face, so mark'd with streaks of makeup black
that's run from tears she's shed these passing days.
He puts a hand upon her ankle bare
which causes her to flinch, as finally
she notices his presence in the room.
"I'm sorry, Chaplain," now she says to him.
YOU ARE READING
As Ever Like the Sun & Moon at War
PoetryA troubled Pilgrim sets upon a road in search by sun and storm of paradise; a vain Pariah's banish'd from his home to render justice by the moonlit night: two individuals who share a flesh, each unalike in methods and beliefs, yet fated consequence...