Original Painting: "The Chapel"

"The Chapel", 16"x20". Acrylics and glow-in-the-dark paint on gallery depth canvas. 2026.

Poem

"High in a tree with branches wide,
Where emerald leaves and sparrows hide,
There stood a chapel, warm and fair,
Lifted gently into the air.

Its leaves had danced in summer rain,
Had listened to both joy and pain,
And now its mighty arms were wide,
As if it wished to bless the bride.

The chapel glowed with amber light,
A lantern in the coming night.
Warm stained glass filled each window frame,
And every panel sang God's name.

A dozen loved ones gathered there,
Close family and friends who cared.
No crowded hall, no grand display,
Just treasured hearts upon that day.

Some carried laughter in their eyes,
Some carried years and sacrifice.
Some remembered younger days,
Now softened by the passing haze.

Outside, the leaves began to sway,
As if creation wished to pray.
The forest hushed its busy song
To hear the vows before too long.

Then hand in hand the couple stood,
Beneath the beams of aged wood.
Their hearts were full, their eyes were bright,
Reflected in the chapel light.

Their vows were not of fleeting things,
Not built on what tomorrow brings.
They spoke of faith and steadfast grace,
And walking close in God's embrace.

They pledged to trust when skies were gray,
And when the sunshine lit the way.
To lift each other when life bends,
To be companions, lovers, friends.

And as they spoke, it seemed to me
The great old chapel tree agreed.
Its branches stirred from limb to limb,
Like leaves were singing quiet hymns.

For those who walk where God will lead,
And trust in Him through word and deed,
The road may twist, the hills may rise,
Yet blessings bloom in sweet surprise.

And suddenly the room seemed filled,
With every hope the years had built.
The guests stepped out onto the deck,
Where countless lights hung overhead.

Each strand of light crossed through the leaves,
Like constellations caught in trees.
The canopy became a dome,
That somehow felt like heaven's home.

The bride and groom stepped to the floor
And shared the dance they'd waited for.

Then I found my daughter there.
The lights were dancing through her hair.
I reached my hand and she took mine.
Together we stepped into time."

I hope this painting inspires joy in the viewer, and encourages remembering to weddings past, the blessings of family since, and the imagining of weddings in the future. Even though my children are only 10 and 8, I pray for their future spouses, that God would keep them in His perfect will. Brides and grooms-to-be, spend so much energy on their wedding day, and then once its over, for the rest of their lives, it drifts as a memory. This painting seeks to stir up the emotion of remembering. For the hope of a tear of time gone, and a swell of gratitude for what is.