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Fountain

For those of us who over the years have been hanging around churches, we are aware that Baptismal Fonts can come in all shapes and sizes. The placement and size of the font expresses a theology of understanding of this sacred sacrament. Listen carefully to the words of Shaw’s poem. Ponder each and every line.Continue reading “Fountain”

Water

Labor Day marks the end of summer and with it comes the closure of our public swimming pools! Throughout these hot days of summer the open air pools in our neighborhoods and in our city parks have been a place of much refreshment of body and spirit! Although these past weeks have reminded us ofContinue reading “Water”

“tie the poem to a chair with rope”

Billy Collins reminds us, lest we forget, that a poem once written and placed on a page, is in a sense open game! The poet cannot patrol the poem allowing only this or that to be what was intended. Ponder all those pages written by way of explanation to some of the poems of ourContinue reading ““tie the poem to a chair with rope””

Relic of Memory

Lough Neigh is found in the middle of N. Ireland. It is the largest fresh water lake in the British Isles. In recent years it has become the “mecca” for Game of Thrones fans who visit the many sites in N. Ireland filmed as part of this epic series. The N. Ireland tourist Board hasContinue reading “Relic of Memory”

When the folks have gone.

The poet and priest, the late R.S. Thomas is a favorite of mine. His strong faith and his honest doubt, shape many of his poems. What does happen when the folks have gone, and dust settles on the empty church with only the priest remaining to clear up, to pause and perhaps even to pray?Continue reading “When the folks have gone.”

Seated at a table!

On the inside cover of Rupert Shortt’s biography of Rowan Williams the following is stated “Rowan Williams is a complex, controversial, widely admired figure, one who towers intellectually over almost all his predecessors as Archbishop of Canterbury” For many years he has fascinated me with his wisdom, his questioning, his doubt, his convictions and hisContinue reading “Seated at a table!”

“The last set out the soonest did arrive”

The hot days of summer continue, and I am enjoying moments to leaf through some books which have not been opened for a very long time. The Selected Poems of John Dryden, is one such book. Dryden (1631-1700) not only a poet but a satirist, translator and playwright and first Poet Laureate in 1668. HeContinue reading ““The last set out the soonest did arrive””

Snowflake

Searching for a snowflake in Barcelona might at first seem a strange, if not impossible, thing to do. Yet that is exactly what the ever popular poet Billy Collins attempted many years ago. Snowflake was the worlds only known albino gorilla and he resided at Barcelona Zoo. Collins writes the poem about Snowflake entitled Searching.Continue reading “Snowflake”

The Runner

I stumbled across the following poem, The Runner, by Allen Grossman. As I read it over and over again his words made a deep impression within me and caused me to dwell for a while and ponder his lines. In trying to discover the nature of this poem, Grossman writes “My poetry is a directContinue reading “The Runner”

Love and Death

The Bayeux Tapestry depicting the Battle of Hastings 1066 may seem an odd choice today. All I am trying to show are “quivers” which feature in Kipling’s short poem entitled The Explanation and written in 1890. Sometimes I can compare a poem with chocolate cake! Seriously! When its good there is noting else to compare.Continue reading “Love and Death”