Reading this article on Brownstoner about Emmanuel Baptist Church & the church built across from it, St. James Protestant Episcopal Church, reminded me of a project I've been meaning to complete. I'm inspired by different things, but I've always loved the architecture of churches. They can be vast, small, stone, wooden, cold, welcoming. I understand that religion can make some uncomfortable, but I've always found comfort in the structure of a church--they are built to last & they are beautiful. My project was to visit a number of churches & write poems during my time there. I still want to embark on this project. Emmanuel Baptist Church is one of the churches I plan to visit. I've actually attended Sunday service at the church; I went a few times during my Freshman year, after my family lost our house to a fire. I am not a religious person, but I took comfort in the idea of structure & support. I remember feeling a strong sense of deja vu--I had been to that church before but I couldn't remember when. It turns out I attended wedding the of family friend at Emmanuel Baptist when I was in the sixth grade. How strange yet appropriate that when I turned to this structure, it turned out to be a place I was familiar with.

There are two photos I took of St. Patrick's Cathedral on Fifth Avenue back in May. Hopefully this will inspire me to follow through with my project & start writing (more) again.