overseas visit #1
it is a cathedral the museum of
natural history in london you
traverse the length of the ornate
nave to where, at the apse, rise
tier on tier of white marble steps
leading to the white marble deity
sitting bemused his meditative
eyes on a blue whale’s immense
bones hanging the length of the
clerestory I climb those steps sit
at the feet of the master gaze with
him at the improbable skeleton a
guard’s hushed voice asks whether
I am all right I nod he dislodges a
gaggle of giggling girls from the
foot of the sacred staircase were
anyone to ask I would reply that
I believe in the gospel according to
darwin and his disciple steven j gould
©2017 Jacqueline Jackson
This article appears in Sep 28 – Oct 4, 2017.
