Our Lady of the Ashes

I gazed upon the scene, surreal,

  a theater of the absurd,

and wondered deep within this heart

  How could such thing occur?

I watched her cry through stained glass eyes

  as ash and soot rained down,

yet in the nave where fire raged

  the angels stood their ground.

And in the streets the voices rose

  avowed their love for thee,

and from the ash, a spark of hope,

  against such tragedy.

© Ginny Brannan 2019

My heart was heavy watching the scene unfold in Paris on Monday 4/15/19. And yet even as she burned, in the streets Ave Maria could be heard as local Parisians lifted their voices. A spark; a glimmer that she will rise again from the ashes. Besides, we all know that you can't keep a good woman down.