There's more room

prompt from the Kípos Gallery & Guild Writing Workshop

There were no blank windows left.

St. Augustine & St. Monica
St. Benedict & St. Scholastica
St. Peter & St. Paul
and on and on.
All the stained glass slots were filled.

There were no appointments left.

The specialist was in high demand
helping those who could wait
or had some other in
or the skills of persuasion with the receptionist
all this month’s slots were filled.

There were no reservations left.

Maybe you could get in the dockside restaurant
when the wealthy were still sleeping or
the famous knew all the cameras were capped
the buzz, and clink, and laughter, and hum
was for a class just above—beyond reach.

There were no call backs.

Even though they had a “help wanted” sign
posted freshly on the closed front door
like the other string of disappointments
at restaurant, and workshop, and warehouse
they must be looking for someone more qualified.

There was no acceptance letter

from my ‘reach’ university, or even from
the school that was local, and I thought
reachable. “We’re sorry to inform you…”
"Applications this year were particularly heavy”
A.I. helped the admissions team write a form letter
that was personal, but didn’t want me to take the
news personally.

“There’s more room!”

Said the priest, by the ash tray at the front door
the smell of cigarette smoke giving way to the smell of
church coffee and pure wax candles. The pews were only
half full. The choir struggling to blend. “Kyrie Eleison”
they sang, and a few honest souls joined in. There’s more
room when it’s Kyrie Eleison, or mea culpa, and there’s
more room at the table of plenty where the qualifying
invite is only for those who are hungry and thirsty for
righteousness.

Geoffrey led our group in a few writing exercises culminating in this one with the prompt: There’s more room. The other’s who read their writing were gold. Here is more info on Kípos Gallery and Guild.