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our poet laureate |
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CONGREGATIONS STRADDLED AND EMBRACED |
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Haven for the homeless, revelation for the rich man,
Downtown’s famous church has metamorphosed In the foment of the century, From wealthy white Republican To black and activist supporting Huey Newton and the Panther separatists. Now the temple of the Tenderloin is twixt and ’tween, A happy hostel sparking interracial celebrations Twice each Sunday, packed to rafters, Come to hear the gospel choir, jazz, Then loving words of counsel From the incandescent heart of Reverend Cecil. Long in music, short on prayer, The service speaks to every soul, From saint to sinner, Black to white, Blind beggar to suburbanite, And devotee to alien spirit. The well-worn, scuffed-up welcome mat is always out. New arrivals fall right in, attracted by the charismatics. All light up in fervor of this joy-and-love community--- Clapping, swaying, linking arms, Exulting as they’ve never done in years. The jovial reverend’s sermon hugs us, brings us Themes of “love that’s unconditional” Which soon he’s acting out embracing his parishioners Who gather in the meeting hall for postlude dialogues. Bereft you be perhaps of friend or family, You sense you’re welcome any time At Cecil’s edifying edifice of unity and love That every week will save an honored place or two At table for the prodigal, or absentee, or thee. ---6/27/03, Glide Memorial Church, SF |
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The day of days, the time of times, Those cherished moments ever to remember, in all spaces, in all climes, Back when, euphoric, we could smell the flowers as we listened to the dulcet ching of chimes. ---July 9, 2003 |
©2003 by Paul Hertelendy. The illustrations for "Congregations, etc." are from the website of Glide Memorial Church. The illustrations for "Recalling, etc." are from IMSI's Master Clips Collection, 1895 Francisco Blvd. E., San Rafael, CA, 94901-5506, USA.
Paul Hertelendy is a critic with the San Francisco Bay Area arts website www.artssf.com
To visit his website, click here: PAUL
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