Petra

the entrance to evil is bright and warm gaudy and loud

easy as an open door censors no man

then narrows sharp to a cold oblivion

the light snuffed out like a candle gutters

the entrance to goodness be cold and dark

hostile as grief

then yields to a better dawn

the great stone city towers in pride

yet ground down grain by grain with the sandpaper of time

and blows its way into the sun

pilgrims to this day kneel

with candles of choice

on their strange journey in the night