The Difference Between Two Cathedrals
One is restless.
Seen by all, felt by none
A spot on the map
An item on the list
Rushing through, mouthing
“Wow”
But never listening
To the heartbeat
Instead it’s
Loud
No quiet, just voices
Getting louder and louder
Clamor
Inching forward,
Pressed by hoards
Of people—
Sticky, sweaty
Never pausing to embrace
The true identity of this structure
And never have they felt
Less close to God
.
The other is holy.
The sacredness settling
On your skin
The peace sinks in—
Each breath feels
Blessed
But as the light beams
Through the stained glass windows
I almost forget
To breathe
The stillness seeps into me
And echoes between the walls
A haven within the chaos
A rock, in a place of movement
Peace enfolded in each moment,
I feel my soul like a current
I’m swept away
.
One cathedral is famous
The other, unknown
But in the midst of the crowds
Is when I feel more alone
And in the peace, in the silence
Is when I feel like I’m home
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Inspiration:
Recently, we were exploring northern France during our vacation. It was only for three days, just seeing a select few sights. On the last day, we drove back to Paris, and we stopped by a French town called Rouen. We visited one of its several cathedrals, and it became one of my favorites. Not because it was famous. But because it was almost empty. We had the whole, grand and beautiful place to ourselves. A few days later, we went to see Notre Dame, and the difference between this quiet, sacred cathedral in Rouen and the loud, commotion-filled Notre Dame was unbelievable. And then we slipped down a quiet, narrow street and stumbled upon another cathedral, almost empty. That’s where I wrote this poem.
Thanks for reading! If you like this, check out more of my poetry posts!


You are so perceptive to see that hustle and bustle doesn't lead to listening to holy thoughts from God. But those two cathedrals are so similar, I almost thought they were the same one! thank you for your poem, dearest Afton.
So beautiful!!
Loving these thoughts so very much.
Thank you ☺️💞
Didn’t Monet paint the Rouen Cathedral?