The Great Oval Circles
A man can balance
at the edge of a mountain
hold only a ledge built into the rock
peer from behind a parapet
over a shrunken landscape
sheltered from a fall like a china dish
on a shelf without a lip.
.
Look down to the people ways
carved in continuous travel
hallways through the stone
down to the great oval
circles scribed in Siena
.
Walk along the mountain path
to the piazza in front of the church
where people dance:
hands speak
touch palm to palm
dance circles
in the piazza
Once in the church boys came from all directions
in the loft the sound of their young voices
approaching in a chorus in front of dusty sunlight
stretching through the windows
crowded in the pews
young children sat in the aisles
and on the altar steps
.
An older generation waited
closed eyes keep an open mind
a mass between neighbors
as open as the sky
listening to the faint sounds of a city in motion.
.
The sun made red stone steps at dusk
places to pray between rock and shadow
away with daily routine
surprise and gesture
keeping memory together
a beating heart pulsed.
Passive Architect 