Grass Whistles

Children’s fingers folded in, 
thumbs aligned, 
hands heart-shaped, 
knuckled boxes. 
Fluted grass 
pulled taut 
across the length 
of the thumb’s flesh, 
reeds between joints, 
phalanges compressing. 

And then breath 
blown into small ovals 
between minute bones, 
pipes of an organ 
emitting clear sounds 
from chimes of a clerestory— 
vigils, lauds and vespers 
emitting from 
portable monasteries.