THE FEAST DAY OF SAINT GEORGE

 

The feast day of Saint George

Is England’s National Day

When the English people

Celebrate Saint George's Day

SAINT GEORGE

Though he is immortalized in the tale

Of Saint George and the Dragon

It is as one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers

That his patronage is built upon 

NAMED BY THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

 

Named by the Catholic Church

As one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers

Christian martyr, St George of Lydda

Was a Venerated soldier saint

Legendary vanquisher of dragons

And the Patron saint of England

I AM WITH YOU STILL

 

Though I am gone,

And you feel alone now

I am with you still.

 

I am there

In the quietness of winter

Among the falling snowflakes

That settle on the hushed landscape

 

I am there

In the dew drops

Moistening the undergrowth

As you kick your way through

The grassy meadow

I am there

In the warm sunlight

Of a summer’s day

The bathes the countryside

And I am the tingle on your skin

When the raging storm

Quickens your heartbeat

And in the April showers

You will feel my caress

With every drop of rain

That touches you

So though I am gone

I am with you still

THOUGH I AM GONE

 

Though I am gone,

And you feel alone now

I am with you still.

I am there

When you revisit our favourite places

Retracing the steps of our togetherness

To somewhere reassuringly familiar

I am there

In the sunlight dappled shade

Of a woodland walk

Where bluebells bring the wood alive
I am there

When you stand on the lake shore

And gaze out across to the water,

Though I cast no reflection.

I am there

On the long walks

As you kick your way though

Autumns golden gown

I am with you

When the winter snows lay,

Though I will leave no foot prints.

I am there with you,

For all the moments that were ours

For though I am gone

I am with you still

I AM IN THE DAWN

 

I am in the Dawn

And in the Sunset

I am the morning mist

Softening the landscape

And the reassuring warmth

Of a bright winter sun

I am in the twilight hours

I am the gentle breeze

Caressing your cheek

On a warm summer evening

I am the tingle on your skin

As you lie in the quiet times

I am always by your side

Through your loneliest hours

And although I had to leave

I am with you always

AND PLEASE DON’T BE SAD

 

I didn’t want to leave you

It was the hardest thing I ever did

But I had to go

I couldn’t fight it any longer

But now I’ve gone

Please don’t be sad,

But remember what we had

Think of our life together

Like a favourite book

Which you read with relish

And couldn’t put down

Enjoying every well-thumbed page

Well now that I’ve gone

Do not close the book

And put it on the shelf

Never to be read again

Just because you hate the ending

Start to write the next chapter

Enjoy it like all the others

Embrace the life you have

Live for both of us

And please don’t be sad

LIFE’S FLICKERING FLAME

 

Heavens chorus sings

Calling to the earthly soul

As the candles gutter

Life’s flickering flame fades

The spirit ascends

As the wings of angels flutter

LAST LAMENT (DO NOT MOURN)

 

Do not grieve

Or mourn my passing

Banish your sadness

Remember me and smile

Do not think of me as gone

Or out of reach

For I will be with you always

Though I cast no shadow

And you will hear no footfall

I will be there nonetheless

 

In springtime

When wildflowers

Dance in the meadow

I will be there,

In summer I’ll be

The August breeze

That stirs a field of ripened corn,

In autumn

I will swirl the leaves

Of the seasons golden carpet

And when the winter sun shines

I will sparkle

And glint on the snow

 

So do not grieve

Or mourn my passing

Banish your sadness

Remember me and smile

For I will be there,

In the dawn,

Rising with the sun,

And you will see me again

When the sun sets

At the days end,

Because I am in your hearts

Always

 

 

 

Written for the funeral of my father-in-law

Gordon Aplin

23rd February 1937 – 15th June 2019

THE LORD IS SHEPHERD OF HIS FLOCK

 The Lord is Shepherd of his flock

As well as being a fisher of men

And he does his Fathers bidding

On the fields and copse and fen

CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND. FRIDAY 15TH MARCH 2019

 

No matter the race, creed or colour

Of those peacefully assembled there

There can be few acts of greater evil

Than the massacre of people at prayer

HEAR THE HEAVENLY ANGEL SING,

Hear the heavenly angel sing,

Perched with the host on high

Effortlessly poised in spiritual grace

Serenity upon its celestial-face

As they glorious sing their joy

A resonating sound, true and pure 

EASTER SUNDAY

 

Easter Sunday

Is the most important date

In the Christian calendar

And Celebrates

The Resurrection

Of Jesus Christ

And beginning

The Great Fifty Days

Of Eastertide

CRUCIFIX

 

You were the love

Of the world

And we nailed you to a cross

We tried to kill love

With nail in hand

And spear in flesh

But we failed

You pleaded for us

Apologised for us

Then you died for us

You’re the love

Of the world

HOLY SATURDAY

 

Holy Saturday

Is not a Mass

But a time of

Prayer and fasting

And meditating on Christ’s

Passion and Death

His Descent into Hell

And his Resurrection

EASTER VIGIL

 

The Easter Vigil,

Is the longest and most solemn

It begins after sundown

With The Service of Light

When a new fire is kindled

Symbolising the Light of salvation

Which is used to light

The Paschal candle

Symbolising the Light of Christ

Reminding all that

Christ is Light and life

HOT CROSS BUNS

 

I’ve always loved hot cross buns

But they give me heartburn

You can eat one and it’s gone

But like the Lord they return

EASTERTIDE

 

Eastertide or Paschaltide

Is a festal season

That begins on Easter Sunday

And lasts for fifty days

Ending on Pentecost Sunday

Celebrated throughout

The Christian world

As a single joyful feast

MAUNDY THURSDAY

Maundy Thursday

The sixth day of Holy week

Which remembers the Maundy

The day when Jesus

Washed the feet of his disciples

As well as the last supper

On the feast of Passover

And marks the start

Of the Easter Triduum,

That commemorates

The passion, death,

And resurrection of Christ

HOLY WEDNESDAY

 

In Western Christianity,

Holy Wednesday

Is the Wednesday before Easter

The fifth day of holy week

Often called "Spy Wednesday",

To mark the betrayal of Jesus

By his apostle Judas Iscariot

And on Holy Wednesday

He first conspired with the Sanhedrin

To betray the Lord

For thirty pieces of silver

HOLY WEEK

 

Holy Week

Is the last week of Lent

Which precedes Easter

Starting on Lazarus Saturday

It includes Palm Sunday

Maundy Thursday

And Good Friday

And ends on Holy Saturday

HOLY MONDAY

 

Holy Monday is

The Third day of holy week

Is notable for several reason

We are told in The Gospels

That amongst other things

The cursing of the fig tree

The questioning of Jesus' authority

And the Cleansing of the Temple 

All took place on Holy Monday

PALM SUNDAY OF THE PASSION OF THE LORD

 

With the Roman Rite

Of Palm Sunday

Or Passion Sunday

Holy Week begins

Marking the humble entrance

Of the Messiah

Into Jerusalem on a donkey,

So he could accomplish

His paschal mystery,

But Palm Sunday

Also marks with the

Blessing of palm leaves

The beginning

Of his journey to the cross

LAZARUS SATURDAY

 

Lazarus Saturday

Is the day preceding

Palm Sunday

Which celebrates the raising

Of Lazarus of Bethany

A day of joy and triumph

Which begins Holy Week