Evensong

I had just turned the corner
onto the quiet of Schulhof Square -
leaving the busy clippety-cloppety
of the Fiaker horses on Steindlgasse behind me -
when the Angelus bells started calling
the faithful to pause for a moment.

From somewhere inside
the walls of the
Church of the Nine Choirs of Angels
a chorus of female voices rose
to sing the Evensong,
"Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariae ... ".

Regina coeli, laetare, alleluia.

The blossoms of the Princess tree
in front of Palais Obizzi
swayed slowly in the evening breeze.

The tables were set for dinner,
the evening shades were rising higher, over
the elegant portal and the Baroque façade.

A few early birds
were waiting for their evening meal.

A stray ray of the evening sun
illuminated the flowers
and set the blue vase ablaze.

The choir grew silent
and the little square settled
into the quiet of the evening.

And then,
the sun, and with her
the last golden evening light,
were gone.

As was the last
of the singing nuns.

Photographed by Merisi
at Schulhof
on Thursday, May 7, 2009