The old cabinet, too,

inside and outside, for me,

looks identical to

Notre Dame de Paris.

Darkness upon its shelves.

Dust mop and bishop’s stole

can’t wipe the dust. Itself,

the thing, doesn’t care at all,

it doesn’t try to refresh

or wipe clean a dusty spot.

For dust is surely time’s flesh;

time’s very flesh and blood.

​

J.Brodsky