A chorister is celebrated at St. Paul's Cathedral Evensong

(First draft)

Little Zander's family were ahead of me in line
His sister struggled to keep it together
I sat in the row behind them
She    tried to sit in her mother's lap
too     big at 14
she    looked at me and I recognized
she    was lost on the autistic spectrum
too    much going on
St. Paul's Cathedral
too    big for her

The      stained glass windows
the       awesome relics and shiny floors
the       way her slippers slid on the marble
the       organ vibrating my sternum, her ear drums
too loud, even with both hands covering her ears

the    Spaniards next to us trying to follow along
the    impossible to understand words of a hymn

sung in a major key with 8-part harmony

echoing to the ceiling

they left    in the middle of the prayer
speaking   their language the whole time

We saw the choir come in
little Zander was in all black in the back
the    Dean of the Chapel made a speech
the    Choirmaster put a white apron robe thingy over his head
the    collar stiff up to his chin
now he matched the others
But the Dean - he smiled and said, "It's time to twirl"
8 year old Zander spun and his white robe made angel wings
revealed an underlay like a little girl's tutu
his older sister stood up and clapped while everyone sat

She had been "so good" the whole time
then    they sang a strange Evensong
the    creepy anthem written in a minor key
the sinful behavior going down in Athens
and Jesus rising     above the alter in a Buddha pose
hands uplifted to reflect the Light

Zander's sister lay across their mother's lap
exhausted  sucking her thumb  rocking back and forth
with one eye on her, and one eye on Zander
Mother watched her son take a seat in the choir
and held tight to her big girl.