'Night Musings: Unveiled' (one-shot)

... was flanked by large brass urns on marble pedestals holding overflowing arrangements of greenery with brilliant gold twigs, pine cones and red berries. The tendrils of pale smoke coming from the thurible near the altar were scented with the heavy spice of Frankincense. A pure white antependia draped the front of the pulpit. Father Mike had celebrated the midnight Mass. Booth first introduced ...

... has become muddled forever – I can no longer distinguish who is an animal, who a person, and how long the wait can be for an execution. There are only dusty flowers, the chinking of the thurible, tracks from somewhere into nowhere. Fresh winds softly blow for someone, gentle sunsets warm them through; we don't know this, we are everywhere the same, listening to the scrape and turn of hateful keys...

Smelling Holy

...the bowl up and move it in vertical circular motions. 3 times to the Bible, 3 times to the big candle in the middle of us all, then I had to set out in a loop round the chapel to waft it in circular motions over all the congregation! Some of them used their hands to gather it towards them.  I prefer it to a thurible and for the person in my position, it's bordering on liturgical dance.