We were so small,
standing by the silver globe
out in Queens,
both of us glazed with rain
and a little dazed
by the thick press of people
and the polyphony of voices
drumming against our brains.
We have just seen the Pietà,
flown in specially from Rome—
seven years before a crazed
man wielding a hammer
ensured it would never
leave an acrylic cage again.
I remember the marble
lit against blue velvet,
the gleam of light on stone,
the mother cradling her son—
her eyes seeing only him,
his seeing nothing at all.
The art didn’t impress us
as much as the sidewalk
moving us along
like something
from Tomorrowland,
its processional pace
ensuring we could not linger long
in that glowing, speechless grief.
Photo: New York World’s Fair, 1965
Show Comments ()
The latest from america
The lie that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute persisted for centuries. A new play reclaims her story.
"Magdalene: I am the utterance of my name" is advocating for setting the record straight on one of Christianity’s most vital disciples.
This week on “Jesuitical,” Zac and Ashley struggle to resist the temptation to “type” each other as they learn about the Enneagram from Liz Orr, author of “The Unfiltered Enneagram: A Witty and Wise Guide to Self-Compassion.”
Keeping President Biden on the ballot is like telling voters: “Trust us. Don’t believe your eyes and ears.”
Many watching last night’s debate wondered if this was the end for Joe Biden. But I could not help but wonder if this was the end of presidential debates.