Mercy
I walk down the street that leads from the temple to the main square. I have spent the night at the temple, alone. I am naked, and I am shaven, body and head. I am cold, the morning sun has not yet warmed up the air and the stones. At this time of the morning, the street I am walking is usually a very busy place — men, women, children, doing business, strolling, playing, talking, watching, laughing — a bustle of life, to be seen, and heard, and shared... Today, though, the street is empty,...