At Ephesus
One pillar remains
ancient and rebuilt
abandoned, reclaimed
ragged yet enduring
like my faith.
In this feral place
my prayers become informal
offering belly to sun
toes to pond
breath to breeze, unbound.
Now I blink, turtle eyed, a slow swoon.
Now I soar, swallow breasted, heart lifting.
Now I sink, silty, past clouds of algae
and rise again on the spiral flight
of two red dragonflies, yearning.
One pillar remains
and you are still here
my deep wild
swift wild
sweet wild
Artemis.
When they turned Paul away and vowed
your name would always be praised
they must have known I would be coming.
© Jessica Montgomery 2002