The Substitute – Part 4

Atop a little hill, an old dilapidated structure
Bore itself out in view
Against the blue backdrop of the summer sky
The climb was steep but brief
I paused at the entrance of the shrine
And reflected upon the craft and purses of men
Men who thought it needful
To build abodes for deities
Who had the heavens and beyond for themselves
While their sisters with their husbands and children perished all around them
The thought did not bring anger to my veins
As it had so often done before
But it did bring a recollection of the previous instance
When rage had seized me and held me captive
For a moment that seemed to last a lifetime
Nevertheless, this was not the time to reflect
Upon anything but my aggravating pain
Which hammered at my chest
And tore at my spirit
I slipped the shoes off my feet
And stepped inside the sanctum