IT’S THE END OF MY AUTUMN DAYS

 

It’s the end of my autumn days

When heavens siren sings

And amidst a russet dawn

I hear deaths silent wings

GOD SAT UPON HIS THRONE

 

God sat upon his throne

In the presence of the chosen

All was well in paradise

It was a special day in heaven

There was a quiet mutter abroad

And the flutter of Angels wings

Before a silent hush descended

And the heavenly chorus sings

GOD IS ON THE WEB

 

God is on the Web waiting for your prayer

You can easily find Him if you look around

There is no video link, Skype or live chat

But if you have faith, it will be profound

Of course, if an atheist was to click the link

It would respond with “Page not found”

WITHIN THE SILENT ECHO

 

Within the silent echo

Of the last rites

As the last words of life

Reluctantly give way

To the first words of death

God reaches out his hand

And you alluringly ascend

On comforting wings

ON MYSTICAL QUESTS

 

On mystical quests

The medieval knights

Sought the Holy Grail

They journeyed far

And widely searched

For a fine Golden cup

Bejewelled with gems

A challis fit for a King

Used at the last supper

By Christ himself

But these brave knights

Were doomed to fail

Christ did not live as a King

He was a Carpenter

And a poor carpenters cup

Would not have been

Crafted in Gold

And encrusted with Jewels

It would be a simple cup

Carved from wood

A humble vessel

For the son of God

CROSS OF THE LIVING GOD # 3

 

Cross of the living God

Shine light into the darkness

To every corner of the globe

Embellishing the starkness

 

Cross of the living God

Keep us safely in your light

Protect us every waking hour

And watch us through the night

JAMES THE GREATER

 

The legend of James

Apostle of the lord

And Christ’s appointed

Son of Thunder

Has it that

Upon his Martyrs death

In Jerusalem

St James body

Was taken by angels

And placed in a boat

Which sailed, unmanned

And rudderless

To the Spanish coast

Where it was enveloped

By a massive rock

ST JAMES THE MOOR SLAYER

 

On a battlefield in Galicia

Upon the cry of Santiago

The saint appeared

Upon a steed of brilliant white

St James the greater

Was then transformed

From a fisher of men

To Santiago Matamoros,

St. James the Moor slayer

ONE OF THE TWELVE - JAMES THE GREATER

 

One of the twelve

James the greater

Son of Zebedee

Son of Salome

Named by Christ

With his brother John

Sons of thunder

A simple fisherman

Turned to a fisher of men

By Jesus of Galilee

Witness of the ascension

Who spread the Gospels

Far and wide

Martyred in Jerusalem

By King Herod Agrippa I

 

Feast Day 25th July

I HEAR AN ANGEL SINGING

 

In the quiet of the night

When peaceful silence reigns

I hear an angel singing

And I wonder if it’s you

 

Amidst the chorus of the dawn

When birds are centre stage

I hear an angel singing

And I ponder if it’s you

 

When the wind is in the trees

Swirling in the breeze

I hear an angel singing

And I think it might be you

 

When the rain cascades

Down from the heavens

I hear an angel singing

And I’m sure it must be you

When the sun shines brightly

And its warmth is on my skin

I hear an angel singing

And I believe it may be you

 

At the setting of the sun

When another day is done

I hear an angel singing

And I know that it is you

WHEN YOU ARE DOWNCAST

 

When you are downcast

And at your darkest hour

Pray, for within it

There’s immeasurable power

I WAS LEFT DIMINISHED

 

I was left diminished

When your light went out

It left a shadow on my soul

And my heart was left

As an empty vessel

By your absence

 

You now walk

In heavens light

Surrounded by Gods love

With angels’ song

On the scented air

 

As I sit cold and alone

In the home we shared

A place full of memories

Where once I felt so at home

Now I wish to be there no more

Reminded every waking moment

Of my cruel loss

So, I sit alone and crave

The moment of my own passing

So, our souls will be reunited

And we can be together once more

THE CHRISTENING

 

Nanny had unwrapped

The christening gown

Handed down through

The generations

Grandma hand-knitted

The booties

Laced them with

Pure white ribbon

The God parents

Presented a shawl

White as fallen snow

And we stood together

Beside the font

And welcomed him

Into the family of Christ

THE NINE WORTHIES

 

The Nine Worthies

Figures of history?

Men of scripture?

Men steeped in myth or legend?

Any or all might apply

But these figures personified

The chivalric ideals

Of the medieval world.

 

Three of the nine were pagans

Hector prince of Troy,

Slain by Achilles

Alexander the great

Conqueror of the world,

Julius Caesar,

Founder of a dynasty

 

Three of the nine were Jewish

Joshua, Apprentice of Moses

And leader of the Israelites

David, of the house of David,

Second King of Israel

Judas Maccabeus, leader

Of the Maccabean revolt

 

Three of the nine were Christian

King Arthur of Camelot,

Fair and just

Charlemagne, the first

Holy Roman Emperor

Godfrey of Bouillon, first ruler

Of the Kingdom of Jerusalem

 

These nine worthies

Were considered paragons

Of the ideals of chivalry

CROSS OF THE LIVING GOD # 2

 

Cross of the living god

Shine into the darkness

Keep us safe in your light

And you will always bless

Because you’re always there

Answering all my Prayer

Gentle Jesus, Gentle God

I AM SO BLESSED

 

I am so blessed

To have a family

A caring network

Who look after me

 

I am so blessed

To have with me

A circle of friends,

Who are like family

 

I am so blessed

To have in every way

God in my life

Each and every day

ARE YOU WEARING A CRUCIFIX?

 

Are you wearing a crucifix?

Is it God’s grace you are appeasing?

Is it a symbol of your devotion?

Or is it just aesthetically pleasing

Are you a good Christian girl?

Or are you taunting and teasing

Well by that look in your eye

I think you’re up for a squeezing

A SONG TO SING IN HEAVEN

 

A song to sing in heaven

Where the holy angel’s tread

So sang my heart in joy

The word of God was spread

ST SWITHIN AND THE WINCHESTER EGG WOMAN

An old lady's eggs had been smashed

On the new stone bridge by workmen

Swithin picked the broken eggs up and

They miraculously became whole again 

PATRON SAINT OF WINCHESTER CATHEDRAL

 

Anglo-Saxon St Swithun

Was Bishop of Winchester

From his consecration

Until his death.

A century later

Dunstan and Æthelwold

Adopted him as patron

Of the restored church

Of Winchester

His body was transferred

From almost complete obscurity

To Æthelwold's new basilica

After which his posthumous miracles occurred

The Winchester egg-woman

And Queen Emma's ordeal

 

Feast Day 15^th July

ST SWITHIN AND QUEEN EMMA'S ORDEAL

 

Before the Norman Conquests

Princess Emma of Normandy

Became Queen Emma of England

Wife to King Æthelred the Unready

And then to Canute the Great of Denmark

She was falsely accused of adultery

But the night before her ordeal by fire

As she slept in Wargrave uneasily

Saint Swithun appeared in a dream

To tell her she would be set free

CROSS OF THE LIVING GOD # 1

 

Cross of the living God

Cast your gentle shadow

Keep us safe within its lee

And I will always know

You will answer my Prayer

Because you’re always there

Gentle Jesus, Gentle God

 

THE ATHEISTS LAST WORDS

 

The atheist spent his whole life

Denying the existence of a deity

Preached to all who would listen

The atheist thoughts of his reality

He even stated that the universe

Was created quite accidently

Even on his final day on earth

He was content there was no deity

But a moment before he crashed

He cried out “oh God help me”

GOD WINDS THE CLOCK OF LIFE

 

God winds the clock of life,

It is wound but once

And when set in motion,

At the moment the second hand

Begins its sweep

It can be neither slowed

Nor hurried

There is no hint of duration

No pre-set point

When the hands cease

The only certainty

Is that the time piece will stop

All you can do is be ready for that day

Leave nothing unsaid

Nothing undone

Place your faith in God

And not the timepiece

Live your allotted time fully

And have no regrets

When the movement stops

At the appointed hour

VIOLENCE TURNS THE WORLD

 

Violence turns the world

Into a smouldering ruin

God against God

Sect against sect

Brother against Brother

Hatred against reason

And in the middle

Innocence dwells

Armed only with hope

And unshakeable faith

A CROSS FOR YOU

 

A cross for you,

A symbol of your sacrifice

A cross for me,

A sign of my devotion

Across the veil

To the place beyond

To bathe together

In everlasting love

WE’LL REACH OUR GOD

We’ll reach our God,

In heavens palaces

Leaving our bodies,

Heavy like stone,

And take flight

On angel’s wing

And bathe in His glory

For all eternity

UBIQUITOUS GOD

 

Omnipresent,

Omnipotent

Omniscient being

Ever present,

All powerful

All knowing, all seeing

Awesome,

Ubiquitous God

Of our spiritual wellbeing

Of everlasting life,

Salvation guaranteeing

B.H.A

 

British Humanist Association

Pro human rights

Pro-democracy

Pro egalitarianism

And pro mutual respect

Unless of course

You believe in God

IN THE QUIET MOMENTS

 

In the quiet moments

I can’t remember my father’s face

I try and try but it escapes me

It seems to shift in my mind’s eye

Snippets of familiarity

Many facets blurring into one

Almost pixelated image

Until now I’ve never understood why

It’s because in my memory

He had more than one face

There was the proud father face

The joyful Christmas morning face

The grumpy morning after face

The scolding face

The smiling face

The sad face

And for each of these faces

As we both grew older

There were age groups

He had to many faces to remember just one

So now when I want to see his face

I think of a situation and there he is

WHEN MOTHER NATURE DONS

 

When Mother Nature dons

Her spring gown of splendour

She decorates with beauties

Normally reserved for heaven

And bestows upon the earth

Those perfect gifts from God

I HAVE ALWAYS HAD FAITH

I have always had faith

An unaccountable

Unshakable faith

But only in God

My faith in him

Was a constant

The only constant

In an uncertain world

 

It was the Church

I had no truck with

My faith did not extend

To the institution

Of the Church

Or its instruments

Its rituals and

Mechanisms of control

 

I have no issue with

The Church family

Well-meaning folk

One and all

Doing the great things

And the small with equal relish

They are just not for me

 

I chose to worship alone

Just me and my God

My Church was a quiet wood

My Cathedral a hilltop

 

So, to stand before the cross

In the old Chapel

Was a departure for me

A departure from the norm

But exceptional circumstances

Called for exceptional measures

It was an old place

An ancient place

A powerful place

A conduit to God

To amplify my faith

 

So, I fell to my knees

In the ancient chapel

Humbling myself

Before my God

And I prayed

THE CHOIRS OF HEAVENLY HOSTS

 

The Choirs of Heavenly hosts

The angels, Archangels

Principalities and Authorities

The Virtues, Dominions,

Thrones or Orphanim

The Cherubim and Seraphim

The Holy Spirit

My lord Jesus Christ

And the Heavenly Father

Protect me all my days

I DIDN’T SAY WHY ME?

 

When I was first diagnosed

I didn’t say why me?

I didn’t blame God

I didn’t curse him

Or hate him

Or ask the question

Why me Lord?

All my life

I have been blessed

And when good things

Happened in my life

I didn’t say “why me?”

THE GOOD BOOK

 

The good book

A trusty tome

Full of comfort and succour

Hope and salvation

A reliable companion

A stalwart in adversity

A true bestseller

Sometimes contentious

Often misquoted

Frequently misused,

The devout and the atheist

Quote in equal measure

From its voluminous pages

They scour and pillage

Cherry picked passages

To support a particular stance

At times it can even satisfy

Both sides of the same argument

Inclusive and accessible to all

In the right hands

It illuminates and empowers

In the wrong hands

It divides and imposes

The bible in truth

Is full of ambiguities

And numerous contradictions

But most important of all

It contains essential truths

NEWLANDS CORNER

 

Newlands Corner

Is one of my most favourite places

I’ve always loved it there

When I look out across the patchwork

Of rolling Surrey Hills,

The chalk grasslands

The ancient woodlands

And the villages nestling there

I feel a deep calm and peace

Penetrating my soul

It’s almost overwhelming

Like the weight of the world

Is lifted from my shoulders

As if His hand on my shoulder

ONE OF THE TWELVE - SIMON PETER

One of the twelve

Simon Peter

The son of John

Brother of Andrew

From the village of Bethsaida

On the Sea of Galilee

Originally a fisherman

Turned to a fisher of men

By Jesus of Galilee

Denied Christ three times

After the crucifixion

Witness of the ascension

Who spread the Gospels

Far and wide

And founded the Christian church

Becoming the first bishop

And the first Pope

Before his own crucifixion

In godless Rome

Under Emperor

Nero Augustus Caesar.

 

Main feast 29th June 

ONE OF THE TWELVE - THADDEUS THE APOSTLE

 

One of the twelve

Thaddeus the apostle

Also known as Jude

Witness of the ascension

Who then spread the Gospels

Far and wide

Was Martyred in Beirut

In the Roman province of Syria

 

Feast Day June 19th

THE FEAST DAY OF SAINT COLUMBA

 

The feast day of Saint Columba

Is an Irish National Day

When the Irish people

Celebrate Saint Columba's Day

WHEN LOVE FILLS THE HEART

 

When love fills the heart

Until it overflows 

There is but one thing to-do

As everyone knows

And that is to share it out

With friends and foes

WE LIVE IN A CYNICAL WORLD

 

We live in a cynical world

So why should we believe

We think our politicians

Are programmed to deceive

We distrust anyone wearing

Their heart on their sleeve

So is it any wonder that

On the whole we disbelieve

Now doubtless you will tag me

As impossibly naive

But for me it is impossible

For me to ever conceive

Of a universe where God

Is absent from the weave

A GOOD TIME GIRL

 

If it’s a fallen angel, you require

If it’s a good time girl, you desire

Then any bar will fill your need

Pick any club and you’ll succeed

But if it’s for an angel you search

Then you should try the Church

You’ll find in any neighbourhood

A girl who uses her time for good

THEY FOLLOW THEIR HEARTS

 

They follow their hearts

A congregation of one accord

Singing the heartfelt lyrics

To make sweet music to the lord

A NEW DAY DAWNING

 

On the distant horizon

The embers of the dawn

Brightly glow

As God blows gentle breath

Upon the glowing coals

And lights up another day

ANGEL IN THE CROWN

 

Angel in the crown

of heavens splendours shown

winged beauty flown

FILL MY CUP WITH CHEER

 

Fill my cup with cheer

Dear Lord,

But let me be merry

And not drunk

Let me be a companion

And not a burden

Let me be happy

But not foolish

Let me know

When it’s time to go

And deliver me

Safely to my door

AS JOYOUS AS A SONG

 

My love for you

Is as joyous as a song,

Sung in congregation

With the faithful throng

SIMPLE FAITH

Faith is a very simple thing

Between you and your God King

Don’t let the legion of Clergy

Over complicate by liturgy

The church does not own our Deity

God is inherent in the laity