Chapel of The Holy Cross
Your grand and gloriousness stands
Effortlessly proud atop the ruby monuments
You call home. Viral in spirituality and
Abundant in visitors who make the trek in hopes
To soak up every last drop. You’re a spectacle and
A vast mystery, caloused hands worked day and night
To plant between those Earth made pedestals.
I long for a slice of your beauty and your Venus-like
Attraction, for I can’t even count the pictures that
Loiter through rolls of camera. Capturing you at every
Angle. The art of subdility is the root of your seduction,
As you stand quietly, peering at the peasantry below you.
Begging you for light
Only your highest power could give.
I chose to write an ekphrastic poem about The Chapel of The Holy Cross in Sedona, Arizona because it is one of the most beautiful structures I have ever seen in person. I also wanted to structure my poem in a way that emulated a sonnet, with little to no stanza breaks. I feel that this style does a lot for poetry when needing to explain one particular subject in detail. Sometimes stanza breaks can feel almost story-like when read aloud, therefore, I strayed away from this style. I left more lines enjambed than not because I feel that by doing this, it helps the lines to bleed into each other and make the piece feel like one giant thought about a certain thing. When actually describing The Chapel in my poem, I focussed mainly on the effects it has had on not only me, but all the visitors that come to see The Chapel. The poem predominantly praises this gorgeous monument and I tell the story from the perspective of someone who almost envies the utmost beauty this structure exudes.