a painting by Hubert Shuptrine, 1977
"ECHOES OF PRAISE"
I lifted my granddaughter
where voices once blended in hymns and praise--
Window glass broken, ceiling planks
while voices of love sang--
We opened the door, spilling pleasant scenes
as voices blended in "Amazing Grace,"--
to look through the broken window;
a cool mountain-top breeze
rustled the dry October leaves
across the barren floor
of this forgotten sanctuary
back when I was her age.
gray and bare; the old upright
still standing against a wall of neglect
with the fancy front trim piece loose, dangling.
Black and white keys, side by side, cracked and stained,
that once smiled beneath fingers
back when I was her age.
from a time of simple days and simple ways.
when Miss Mary returned each secret smile
I shyly delivered to the front row of the choir,
every single Sunday morning.
Her soft voice fueled a fire of passion
back when I was her age.
by Walt Barger
October 9, 2001
Revised October 16, 2001