Lovely. Evokes images for me of The Cathedral of St. John the Divine in NYC, which I've never felt was "religious," but a place where the best in humanity feels elevated. And believe me, it's doubly-rare for a nice Jewish-raised and agnostic girl like me to feel comfortable in any church.

Very nice! I imagine you would have had a lot more difficulty rhapsodizing about the pole barns that fundamentalists erect. The in-joke is that they don't build for the ages, because Jesus is coming Any Day Now. Reminds me what a sad echo that ideology is of the majesty that the church managed to eke out before it started self-immolating a couple of centuries ago. If, at least, you can ignore the backbreaking multigenerational labor (at times, effectively, conscripted) that went into the construction of cathedrals.

All that said, visits to Westminster Abbey and many other historic cathedrals has been a highlight of my travels. They are quite an accomplishment, regardless of the motivations behind them.

Lovely poetry. This really captures the feeling of reverence and awe I associate with soaking up the historic atmosphere of these incredible buildings. Monuments of great beauty and artistry.