Vespers

By Douglas G. Campbell

As the voices merge and swim 

in unison beneath the darkening blue, 

as swallows dart above the top 

branches that stretch and rise with 

the chanted syllables, the tempo slows 

as hearts and minds grow calm within 

the warmth of evening pavement 

and spreads like spiders’ legs outward 

from the park’s center where the 

fountain burbles as it feeds the silent 

ears of anyone who would hear. 

More people arrive and gather, 

as sounds rise and fall like lungs 

inhaling and exhaling while at rest and 

comfortable in this world of sound 

and sight and taste. None of these 

who have come feel the need to gorge for 

they were not starving, they are not 

desperate within this breathing in 

and out along with all the others who 

have come to feed their souls with 

food that does not fade and leave them 

hungry or in need. As the chanting ebbs 

and flows like waves surging up along 

a shore and then recedes back into 

a sea both endless and nourishing 

they begin to lift their faces to the sky 

and leave their standing bodies to 

ascend to cavort and swirl like purple 

martins feasting in the evening air 

radiant, accepted and beloved. 

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Douglas Campbell is an artist and poet. He lives in Portland, Oregon and is Professor Emeritus of Art at George Fox University where he taught painting, printmaking, drawing and art history courses. You can see Douglas’ artwork at: http://www.douglascampbellart.com