On the Way to the Basilica of Saint Francis – a poem by Lisa Zimmerman

On the Way to the Basilica of Saint Francis

To say they were like pigeons—that little flock

of Asian nuns hurrying down a narrow street

in Assisi—is to say their gray cotton habits

looked layered and pearly in feathered April sunlight.

It is to say also that Francis would have loved them

as he loved the tiny sparrows, the small and certain

industry of their prayers, their unmistakable chirps of joy.

Lisa Zimmerman’s poetry has appeared in Florida Review, Poet Lore, Colorado Review, Cave Wall, SWWIM Every Day and other journals. Her first book won the Violet Reed Haas Poetry Award. Among other collections are The Light at the Edge of Everything and The Hours I Keep. She’s a four-time Pushcart nominee.