Wednesday 29 November 2017

THE COMING ONE

(Mary)
A paean,
Eruption of soul and spirit,
Touching the King.

(Zacharias)
Bursting from silence
I prophesy the Coming One,
The Day Spring.

(Joseph)
Stolid, a craftsman, why
Choose me as trustee of
The Holy Thing?

(Magi)
Though the weather cuts
And stones abrade,
Nettles and thorns sting

We glory in our pilgrimage
More than in ease
Or governing

Glad to be encumbered  
Gold, frankincense and myrrh  
By gifts we bring.

(Shepherd)
More than an angel
Redeemed, directed, lightened,
I now can sing.




Saturday 25 November 2017

SPEAKS

He speaks in a way
Informed by the character
Of heaven itself.

Wednesday 22 November 2017

MY BUILDING

With silver, precious stones, and gold
I built a delicate, costly tower;
Chryselephantine work extolled
My Master, to its utmost power ‑
But storms arose ‑ it would not stand
For it was founded upon sand.

Again ‑ but now on rock ‑ I built
An edifice designed to swell
The praise of Him who bore my guilt;
I thought my work had progressed well
But fire demolished all I saw
‑ Since it was wood and grass and straw.

Lord, let me build on Thee alone
According to Thy heavenly plan
And let me be a living stone
Solely for Thee, and not for man;
And if the glory all is Thine
The happiness and peace are mine.

Monday 20 November 2017

GRAVE

If in the Adam
The paths of glory
Lead but to the grave,
In the Christ
The paths to the grave
Lead to the glory.

Monday 13 November 2017

THE PRIEST


His priestly order, that of Melchisedec,
Is intransmissible, and has no end,
Triumphant over the tentacles of death.
In priestly garb “Holinesse on the Head”,
Light and perfection cherished within the breast,
“Harmonious bells below, raising the dead”
To bear and lead them to lasting life and rest,
In heavenly blue - thus our true Aaron’s drest.
He has approached as perfect offerer,
His offering perfection of Himself:
In power of blood which He Himself had shed
He made the way into the holiest.

Thursday 9 November 2017

INGRID

Like a tiny vine,
Ingrid Amy Ellis,
Granddaughter of mine.
Grow upon your trellis.

In your sunny spring
Or when storm clouds gather
You will learn to cling
To a loving father.

Though hot sun or hail
Follow one another,
Or through drought or gale,
Clasp a caring mother.

Do not trust in them
For their good behaviour -
All their strength will stem
From their Lord and Saviour.

May you trust in Him!
Triumph and disaster
Will disturb no limb
If He is your Master.

Then you will provide
Fruit the Lord can gather
- Fruit which will abide
For His God and Father.


For a first granddaughter - now nearly a teenager!

Sunday 5 November 2017

AUNTIE LIZ


Dear Ingrid, you will never know
Your dear old Auntie Liz,
You’ll have no chance for her to show
Her sparkle and her fizz.

 
You’ll see her figure and her form
Fixed in a photograph
But you will never hear her warm
Reverberating laugh.

 
You will not have the chance to share
The days when she is glad;
Nor need to join with us in prayer
In days when she is sad.

 
You will not laugh along with her
At her own quaint behaviour;
His grace has taken her to where
She’s with her Lord and Saviour.

 
The One who promised He would keep
Her safe from fears and harms
Has gently nestled her to sleep
Within His tender arms.

 
Dear Ingrid, in this world of sin
To travel without scathe
Trust in the Lord she trusted in
And imitate her faith.


(with Christ 12/12/2005; Ingrid was born on 1/12/2004)