The Cathedral of Pause
It begins without ceremony—
no shatter, no crack in the foundation
just the quiet erosion of motion.
Most days, the scaffolds hold
the blueprints unfurl
and I build without question
But then come the days when the mortar will not set,
when the tools slip from my hands,
when the halls of effort stand empty,
and dust gathers like second thoughts
That is when I build cathedrals out of tomorrow,
carve grand archways of “not yet,”
lay bricks of “just one more minute,”
until the whole structure hums with delay
The blueprints, as always, are flawless—
a palace where urgency is outlawed,
where staircases spiral endlessly upwards,
leading only to themselves
Outside, the bell towers crack,
the sundials splinter at their bases,
deadlines hammer at the doors,
but I am busy—
letting the sun stain the glass,
waiting for the wind to tell me when to stop or start.
Somewhere, my future self paces,
tapping their foot in a room I have abandoned
They hold the things I was meant to do,
turning them over like unfinished layouts
But here, in my cathedral of pause,
I press my ear to the silence,
listening for a moment
that has not yet decided to arrive.
@azurePond
what beautiful writing
@Heather225 Thank you so much Heather 🥹💖❤️❤️❤️
@azurePond
I wholeheartedly agree with @Heather225, this poem is so beautiful. The slow drift of procrastination and delay and the majestic imagery of the inner world, flawless in design is never actioned. The platonic ideal given concrete form only in the musing of intention.
There is also something so sweetly sad to it as well, a gentle melancholy that feels as airy. I loved how you juxtapose the future impatient self against the distracted and ethereal present self; two forces which are diametrically opposed. They seem to stand beyond any form of reconciliation, not out of conflict but rather just being too alien to each other to ever meet. I felt this was an amazing analogy of discipline and daydream whereby both vie for control of the heart but can never be entertained at the same time as the other.
The Cathedral seems so magical. I imagine scenes from both Escher's works and clips from the film Labyrinth. It feels like it stands as a perfect symbol of unrealised ambition and inaction. A Vast edifice that always remains unfinished, partially abandoned even as it continues to grow and expand.
I think my favourite lines were "Letting the sun stain the glass, waiting for the wind to tell me when to stop or start." Absolutely amazing. I am very, very jealous, and must proclaim you the maestro.
I adore this poem.
@BastionKnight Wow.... this is such a beautifully articulated response (as always😭) —I feel like your words could be a poem of their own! ✨ The way you captured the contrast between the impatient future self and the drifting present self is just chef’s kiss—especially the idea that they aren’t in conflict, just too alien to ever truly meet.
And the Cathedral imagery.... I love your interpretation of it as a symbol of unrealized ambition, ever-growing yet never complete. The Escher and Labyrinth references? Thank you so much. I do not deserve it *cries *. 😭😍
Also, you really shouldn't shower me with such lavish praise—I’m starting to get greedy. This is doing so many things to my ego. At this rate.... I’m going to start demanding long-form essays for compliments instead of a simple ' That hat looks good on you." No, no—say it like Sir Bastion Knight would! Give me 500 words on how the hat is a noble crown, bestowed upon me by fate itself. (I kid… mostly. 😆) But honestly? I still think that even a simple "nice," even in the most sarcastic tone, is the highest honor one can receive. So thank you .. I may not deserve the compliments but my poems do, because they are my kids and my kids deserve everything.
(I’m absolutely overwhelmed by the amount of love I’ve received in this forum, so please excuse my unusual behavior—this is a real case of being drunk on love. 🥂💖 And for that, I blame all of you)
@azurePond
*Smiles*
Your behaviour needs no apologies. It is delightful that the affection shown to you by those on the forum has had such an impact for you. That they have all wished to express such love only further validates how great YOUR influence has been on them.
As for my own little contribution; if I say it I mean it. You deserve the accolades given. So I shall just add one last thing....
...Nice
@BastionKnight * Smiles back warmly *
Your words truly mean a lot—thank you. It’s incredibly heartwarming to see so much kindness and positivity in this space, and I feel so grateful to be part of it.... And your own little contribution? Well... it wasn’t so little—it was thoughtful, uplifting, and deeply appreciated. So I’ll just add one last thing…
...You're pretty Nice yourself. 😊✨
@azurePond so beautiful 💗 your talent has no ends💖 hugs you tightly 💗
@Tinywhisper11 Thank you, Tinywhisper! You are absolutely beautiful—sending you lots of hearts to feast on in peace. ❤️✨
@azurePond 😁😁😁💖💖💖💖
