ROMANESQUE ARCHES

Inside the enormous Romanesque church, tourists crammed into the half-darkness.

Vault opening behind vault and no view of the whole.

Several candle flames flickered.

An angel without a face embraced me

and whispered through my whole body:

“Don’t feel ashamed that you’re human, be proud!

Inside you, vault behind vault opens endlessly.

You’ll never be complete, and that’s how it should be.”

I was blind with tears

and driven out into the sun-simmering piazza

together with Mr. and Mrs. Jones, Mr. Tanaka and Signora Sabatini

and inside each of them vault behind vault opened endlessly.