In the last rays of winter twilight, swirls of Vespers mass incense, rich in Zanzibar clove, Sacra frankincense, and Coptic myrrh, gently interlace with the essence of dried citrus peel, neroli petals, and guaiacum. Together, they weave a restorative and sacred sanctuary—a refuge for weary souls.
When songs I wove for my beloved hide the prayer,
And smoke from this dead heart drifts through the violet air
And covers away the smoke of myrrh and frankincense;
Bend down and pray for all that sin I wove in song,
Till the Attorney for Lost Souls cry her sweet cry,
And call to my beloved and me….
– W. B. Yeats
Art: Detail from Death and the Gravedigger by Carlos Schwabe, 1895