A Journey While Thinking of Stevens

Anglican Theological Review, Spring 1998 by Backstrand, Brian

BRIAN BACKSTRAND*

It was when I said there is no such thing as a god

that the altar glittered the chalice grape grew sweet

the ponderous Reformation sound eased

into diatonic harmony

It was then in the silence of a stammering tongue

with the old names rising up in silence like incense

that the serph pinions began to flutter, the forever bread

of the altar's carved last supper scene began to break

Holy, holy, holy deep I saw

the ancient doors begin to pivot letting me in

past stained glass like wings, scales from the eyes

unti I stood in the nothing before the Now, the brimming fullness of Perhaps

a Place I had never known

Brian Backstrand lives in Villa Park, Illinois, where he is pastor of a local church congregation and pursues his interests in jazz piano, the writing of poetry and fiction, and community college teaching.