Restless rustle
   of a robe
      on flagstone
         steps
Echo in the caverns of
   remote
      and harsh
         theology
Ropes fly heavy
   and forlorn
      as bell vibes
Venture from the 
   tower warm
      from sun bleached
Breezes
   lapping at the crest of
      sifting dunes
And swallows sipping
   thermals off cliffs
Of distant tunes
"Clang" for prayers
"Clang" for songs
"Clang" for longing
   in the spirit
      and thriving
In the art
   of chant on sandstone
       vestry walls
And sandals
   clapping
      clear
In raw 
   monastic halls

(c) 1996 James Oliver Smith, Jr