Is This Heaven?
by Ruby Maguire
Poem/pros about the Duomo
Twenty four elders of the apocalypse hide in threes between pillars at the top
Scared not only of the possibility of hell
But the of heaven in the absence of their friends
They can’t all make it and this they know
Above them the blue sun shines through the top of the dome
What is above?
If they see heaven below?
gentle wings and babies covered in white feather
The weight of the cross
Not felt on the male angels back
Greens, reds, and purple linens lightly cover skin
Breasts, arms, legs, stomachs comfortably breath
Never resting rays of golden sun brush the features of the ghostly
Huddled up and telling secrets of their past
the red flames burn bright from the under
Directly above sit clouds protecting the divine
Women who hold instruments of passion and deception
Play mockingly in the ears of the less fortunate
Reminding them of what they have never had and what they will never quite grasp
They let their strings dangle down and tickle
Till they feel pleasure from the cries and pain below
Limbs and horns and ugly broken wings
Their misery unbearable and doubtfully deserved
But the devil always wins
And the angels take his side
Why is it that I cannot see god?
Is this the true reason the elders stay hidden?
What is above?
If this is heaven