Ugly mongrel
Ill-bred, dirty, unkempt cur
But the dog is nice
Category: Poetry
EPIPHANY … (REMEMBERING ELIOT’S MAGI)
T.S. Eliot wrote his 43-line poem “Journey of the Magi” in 1927.
(see – https://allpoetry.com/The-Journey-Of-The-Magi)
Eliot’s dramatic monologue has been a favourite poem of mine for a long time.
This piece is my (not so great) tribute to his (great) poem – I could manage only 30 lines of third person writing.
Epiphany is celebrated on January 6th this year (2020)
A hard time they had of it sure.
A cold coming and more.
Greeted by Herod badly crowned
With fear and greed and plot.
Through sand and swamp and rocky ground;
Hunger, thirst, chill and hot;
Spear, sword, fist, steel, snarling faces.
Rich man, beggar man, thief;
Hardest people, hardest places –
Cold coming filled with grief.
The house was lit with heaven’s light
Warm welcome and delight –
Fireside hearth, talk, food and joy.
They knelt and offered gifts
To teenage mum and toddling boy.
Then home and slept in shifts.
Kept watch beside, behind, ahead
Lest murder come to slay.
They wanted hope but only dread
Their shadow on the way.
Years later when the boy was grown
Could they their fears atone?
Retrace the way, that hard, hard path?
Could they, old, walk that track,
To find the grace that killed the wrath?
To see the heavens crack,
The Voice, the dove, the Spirit flies.
The waters at his feet,
The fire at his head and eyes
Makes all the pain so sweet.
Ant Fox.
On The Feast of Stephen (part 2)
(When the toast lay all around, deep and crisp and even)
The baby asleep
Thom cooking breakfast delights
Jazz floats in the air
On The Feast of Stephen
Saint Stephen’s day dawns
The big moon sets as sun rises
The morning birds sing.
Haiku Written Before Rising On The First Morning Of The Coffee Cafe Christmas Closure
A coffee-less dawn –
Why should I think of rising?
My cup is forlorn.
Choir Leader (6am Saturday 23rd November 2019)
Under a bright moon
Willie Wagtail sang all night
More join in at dawn
November 22nd 2019
Grey Shrike-Thrush singing
Outside this bedroom window
A perfect dawn song!
From My Pillow – 7am, November 11, 2019
Sun and roses
through pink lace curtains.
Honeyeaters and parrots.
Blue sky and light breezes.
My 6am tea is cold now,
but I don’t care.
Monday morning with birds.
TWITCH
Trees
I see trees
Many kinds of trees
I hear singing in the trees
Birds are in the trees
I see birds
Birds
My Saturday Thoughts On Religion And Humanity
7-8; a.b.a.b.c.d.c.d
Springtime morning steeples ring,
The preacher smiles and makes the sign
Music plays and singers sing
White linen, candles, bread and wine.
Up the steps to speak up clear
– Speak so strong when he wants to sigh
They look, some listen, some hear
He speaks and prays and wonders why.
I can’t remember if I have posted this poem before, but I’m too lazy to check.
I have a degree in Theology. That doesn’t make me good, virtuous, or clever, but it does help me ask questions I feel the need to ask.
Sadly, I know by experience that most religious people don’t think or question. They simply accept the stories that should inform their questioning minds as being literal truth rather than aids to understanding our humanity.
We all need myths and legends and religion – Creation Myths, miracle stories, ethical practices, good living, hope and so on.
But if we use these good things to build a fantasy universe, we are robbing ourselves and our kids of our humanity and potential … so …think!
*Edit – I left a line out … if you liked it before, please read it again – just in case 🙂
Foxings 