My Front Door: An Altar
- Lora Chilton
- Sep 17
- 1 min read
A poem by Lora Chilton
Waiting out the effects of the poison
(Administered to cure me)
A quiet ping from the front door camera.
Mustering the will to get off the sofa
A bouquet of yellow roses sits in silence
I smile reading the note.
Another day
Still hoping for this misery to pass
A basket of apples, cherries and grapes
And with it the words, “You are loved”
Tears fall for these offerings.
My front door has morphed into a sacred place.
In the coming days
My front door, now an altar, will receive:
Tortilla soup, blooming lilies, letters, cards,
A white linen blouse for this changed body.
The front door landing has become a liminal place
Sacred, mystical, healing
I step into life
At the altar of my front door.
Hear Lora read her poem:
Lora Chilton graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a B.S. in Nursing. After careers as a Registered Nurse, small business owner and holding elected office, Lora focused on her life-long desire to write. She has been published in The Daily Memphian, The Memphis Flyer and The Commercial Appeal. Her most recent book, 1666: A Novel, was published in 2024.
Read her essay, My Father's Secret, published in Certain Age November 2024.
Image:
Doorway by Galina Nelyubova
I read this several days ago, and it has lingered in my mind. The descriptions are so vivid, ones many of us can relate to. The comparison to the altar is just brilliant. It brings the focus far beyond simple deliveries. It encapsulates a world of seeking and guidance, of giving and receiving, of hope and connection. So physical, yet so spiritual. Splendid!
Beautiful - your front door offerings showing that you are loved.
Beautiful Lora. Thank you for this poem.
So touching