Pipe organs—dusty and tarnished—

bellowed the ancient song,
as movers carried the pews
for one last time.

frozen branches—heavy with ice arms—
couldn’t perform their dance,
as workmen shuffled inside
the worn-out floors.

sally richards—broken and mourning—
watched while her father left,
as painters brought in their cans
for the first time.

stained-glass windows—buckled and broken—
surveyed commotion’s cause
as commerce won in the end
yet one more time.

reverend richards—feeble and finished—
cried as his exit was lost
on christians who worshiped the dime;
a change of the times.

the word choices in this poem indicate that the setting is
a) a church somewhere in kansas.
b) a graveyard deep in a pine forest.
c) an old museum no one visits anymore.
d) a gymnasium suffering financial problems.

which words best describes the speaker’s tone toward the subject matter of the poem?
a) sad, but upbeat
b) sarcastically honest
c) courageously critical
d) heartbreaking, but realistic