an old man's shards of nickel,
dusty
church songs
in his own time, out of this time,

praise!

how they stomped on buckling floor boards
how the notes ring out
out of step
time
keeps falling out

and how she leaned in because

tethered to
this old world, a seeker finds
that palace where we once sang praise
and children will see this lighting
red hues
and blush

Portland
they have the holy ghost there
he tells her

she imagined she could sense the timing as he said that