Those of you who are regular readers of this blog are by now quite familiar with Malcolm Guite. I find his words and wisdom inspiring and enlightening. In the middle of this Holy Week I am quoting from Malcolm’s introduction to his sonnet Jesus Wept. The world is a heavy place at present so pleaseContinue reading ““Jesus Wept””
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Kneeling
St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Church of Scotland, Sutherland, (photo above) is where I served from 1983-1988. A beautiful white stoned building and if those walls could speak perhaps they would tell stories, not so much of ministers, but of village folk who from birth to death lived believing, lived praying, lived hoping. Their faith andContinue reading “Kneeling”
“waves run wavering up the sand”
It is 38 years since I visited Orkney, and can recall that visit as if it was yesterday. Skara Brae is truly as beautiful as the photo above shows. In my last post I mentioned in passing the poet and novelist Owen Sheers. This prompted me to pull from my shelf his book A PoetsContinue reading ““waves run wavering up the sand””
It’s war again!
And so it continues, and we continue to look on from afar. Our souls are in turmoil even though our homes remain as orderly as they were days ago. Nothing has changed in our homes, in fact we are beginning to plant seeds in the yard now that the Spring has arrived with its promiseContinue reading “It’s war again!”
Amanda Gorman
Today, this is my 100th post! What fun I have had week after week pondering which poem to select. Some weeks of course have been much harder than others and all along the way I have tried to keep my eyes and ears open to the ever enlarging volume of poetry. From old favorites, T.S.Continue reading “Amanda Gorman”
March Madness
1996 was my first experience of this thing called “March Madness” having moved from Scotland late in 1995! Living in Kansas City certainly introduced me to the local rivalry between the Tigers and Jayhawks – University of Missouri and Kansas University! Two of my three sons graduated from KU and so obviously I have becomeContinue reading “March Madness”
Maps!
We find ourselves almost halfway through the season of Lent as we gradually and most assuredly move toward Easter. Sadly, as I write there are not many things we can be sure about as the horror of war grows even more horrific for so many in Ukraine. I turn to the work of the poetContinue reading “Maps!”
Restless heart!
I turn once again to my high school poetry book, which has been in my possession since 1971 and has traveled with me from N. Ireland to Scotland and then to USA and has resided on my bookshelves in KS, MO, FL, KY and now once again in MO! In the book’s wide sweep ofContinue reading “Restless heart!”
After every war…
This continues to be an awful time as we live through such an atrocity. War never has winners. I am bereft of words. My heart feels such pain and I feel so isolated and helpless, day after day I watch the agony of innocent families trying to escape yet desperate to return to their homeland.Continue reading “After every war…”
Poems don’t stop a war!
In the midst, and in the wake of war, a whole genre of poetry has emerged over many hundreds of years which we sweepingly call “war poems”. Let us be honest, poems don’t stop a war! Yet such poems often carry within them four characteristics that it is important to observe. Above all they formContinue reading “Poems don’t stop a war!”
Prayers, Poems, and Christian Ponderings 