community – Page 16 – sunrise in a small city

broken loose together

through the bath the cistern and the hearth
a steady stream of living water

lloyd street synagogue at sunrise — (the first synagogue in baltimore, built in 1845, is on lloyd street)

sons of princes
with discontinued wefts of yarn
of gold silver silk wool and cotton
hiding the warp threads
gathered together and started weaving
a cloth that changes with every different ray of light or new perspective

saint paul and lexington at sunrise — (the maryland historical society was established in 1844, with offices in the athenaeum)

being a carpenter

as if he were addressing thousands
of professed believers
he spoke with ardor and enthusiasm

first baptist at sunrise — (the first baptist church, established in old town in 1836 by moses clayton, erected its own building in 1880 on caroline street)

613

whereas the scattered
exercise rights and customs of fathers
and regulate temporal concerns
fully immersed

bond and fleet at sunrise — (the first baltimore hebrew congregation began meeting on bond and fleet streets in 1830)

truman pratts orchard

here an hundred converts
a noble army of light arrayed
here is another hundred
pillars
another hundred rising
cedars
growing in the dross

orchard street at sunrise — (truman pratt held prayer meetings at his house starting in 1825 and helped found the orchard street united methodist church in 1837)

born from violence and blood

the stone in the wall cries out
and the beam answers
from boot black cellars and house to house
an altar of regeneration forgiveness communication revelation and charity
shares without prejudice.
all creatures here below

gay street at sunrise — (in 1817 the bethel congregation of the african methodist episcopal church moved to a three-story brick building on fish street, saratoga west of gay)

minor basilica

blessed waters sprinkle the foundation
proprietors rejoice with bountiful grain
our star rises and goes down
as days of trouble continue
our atomic souls disperse with every breath
into the living water and fire
safe.
as if there were true religion

basilica at sunrise — (the catholic cathedral on cathedral street was consecrated in 1821)

sulpicius severus

contemplating union
taught, led, and provided for,
or choosing good and evil.
determination may be singularly infinite

seminary at sunrise — (st. mary’s college of baltimore, the seminary of saint sulpice, was accredited in 1805)

charge bayonets

after battles won by hundreds for ensuing millions
panoramas from the green hills above town.
swept over by demi-tectonics

chase street at sunrise — (colonel howard’s mansion near calvert and chase streets was completed in 1794)

commodore barney and hobart brown

a boatswains pipe called
to make sail and take them in again.
four horses pulled it in step
on front of the parading crews,
then the tiny federalist sailed.
to warmest expressions of ingenuity

kinetic sculptures — (maryland’s ratification of the federal constitution in 1788 was celebrated on philpot’s hill, which was subsequently renamed federal hill)

Category: community