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“So I don’t feel alone, or the weight of the stone…”

Washington National Cathedral is known for its quirky gargoyles, but recently my friends’ five-year-old spotted a relatively mundane beastie around 35 feet up, wedged among the dragons and monsters that overlook the Bishop’s Garden. I imagine this creature must think rather highly of himself. And so I give you…

A SONNET FROM THE BOARTUGUESE

I ask: Did He who made the squirrel make me?
He shaped the petty weevil, slug, and fly:
For as thou art to them, am I to thee,
When ’round the garden durst thou slouch and sigh.
I grin, and father pestilence on high;
I bristle, and beshrivel every leaf;
I twitch an ear, the goldfish gasp and die;
I blink, and roses beg for sweet relief.
Yet tourist, when thou turnst to tend thy grief,
My holy tusks and tail thou shan’t recall,
Though still I mince thy mind with unbelief;
Between these buttressed groves I govern all.
Let dragons thus proclaim in wyrmish lore:
“Among our roosts there ruled a humble boar.”

(For all the entries in this series, hit the “looking up” tag.)

Monday, August 31, 2009, 6:00 am in gargoyles/grotesques, looking up, National Cathedral | 2 Comments »

2 responses to “So I don’t feel alone, or the weight of the stone…”

  1. # 1 - Laura(southernxyl) wrote:
    Wednesday, September 2, 2009, at 11:06 pm

    Like the nod to Blake in the first line there.

  2. # 2 - Friday finds « STEVENHARTSITE wrote:
    Friday, September 4, 2009, at 10:05 am

    […] The inner life of a waterspout on the Washington National Cathedral. I’m serious. Work with me on this, people, and just check the link. […]

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