Uncategorized – Page 12 – Prayers, Poems, and Christian Ponderings

Susurration

This the last of a series of three poems from John Betjeman. These past few days I have enjoyed returning to his Collected Poems. For those who enjoy rhyming couplets it doesn’t get any better than Betjeman’s poem A Bay in Anglesey. The photo above is of Cable Bay, Porth Castell in Anglesey, but IContinue reading “Susurration”

Eternity contained in Time and coloured glass.

As promised I offer you another Betjeman poem. In his poem Sunday Morning, King’s Cambridge. Betjeman captures in words the powerful beauty of both Anglican worship and Anglican church architecture. This poem is in sharp contrast to Philip Larkin’s poem Church Going and if you take time the following link is to Larkin reading hisContinue reading “Eternity contained in Time and coloured glass.”

Seaside Golf!

Several years ago we had a walking holiday in Cornwall. On one particular day we set off along the coastal path in search of St. Enodoc Church, hoping to find the burial place of the poet John Betjeman. For many years I had used his poem entitled Christmas in my Christmas Eve services – “…AndContinue reading “Seaside Golf!”

Late August

I was looking for a different poem when I turned a few pages and out popped the following poem by Seamus Heaney. After reading it I no longer looked for that other poem, another day perhaps! Today’s poem was written way back in the 1960s when Heaney was in his early 20s. I am mindfulContinue reading “Late August”

Longhorn Diner

It is a long way from west Texas to New Haven, Connecticut. Not so much the miles, which are many, some 1900, nor the time to drive, some 28 hours, but for poet and professor Christian Wiman, the journey and time is altogether different! No matter the distance we might have travelled from our childhoodContinue reading “Longhorn Diner”

“It didn’t happen that way.”

We certainly live in strange times! Truth seems to be whatever anyone wishes it to be, regardless. One of the great poets of the 20th century was Czeslaw Milosz, a Polish poet and winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1980. Much has been written about Milosz who has been called a poet ofContinue reading ““It didn’t happen that way.””

“pluck the day”

I have just returned from Edinburgh. It is many years since I attended Edinburgh University and continued to live there for several years. I made my way to my favorite used book stores, looking for treasures, curtailed only by the fact of limited space in my carry on luggage! No large checked bags! I wasContinue reading ““pluck the day””

Bits of String

I wish to express a big thank you to all my readers and please know how enjoyable it is to read your comments. I appreciate the time you take to write and share thoughts in response to the poems and prayers. Over the next few weeks I will be taking a short break from “posting”Continue reading “Bits of String”

Slow Learning

Today I share a blog I posted only a few months ago, in the season of Lent which precedes Easter. It is good to be reminded at times. There are some things we are slow at learning, and forgiveness is one such thing. I hope you agree. There are just too many poems in ScottContinue reading “Slow Learning”

Grasshopper

The last two lines of Mary Oliver’s poem The Summer Day can be found pinned to students dorm walls, stuck to fridge doors, written on School Yearbooks and spoken by corporate keynote speakers. I have used them in sermons over the years. However, perhaps more attention needs to be paid to the earlier lines inContinue reading “Grasshopper”