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These poems are the fruit of almost 30 years of occasional writing. They were written as private reflections, or for friends and family. I hadn't intended them for public consumption, but people have told me now and then that they thought I should share them, so I have. I shall add new poems if and when I write them, though a lot of my words tend to go into sermons these days!
If you find something you like and find helpful, you are welcome to use it and share it, but please make sure my name stays attached to it.
The poems are posted in no particular order, but the labels - click on links below - should help you find poems on various themes.
There are also separate pages on this blog containing links to music composed by my husband, Philip, and to Christmas stories which I have told here at Seal in place of sermons on Christmas Day.

Monday 6 June 2016

Ascension?


Of course they all thought he'd gone up.
They would.
But then, they didn't see what I saw.
I was late,
still struggling up the hill
long after the excitement started
(someone had to stay behind to wash the dishes).
That's how I saw what the others missed.

Angels?
Trumpets?
Heavenly choirs?

No. When the cloud came down
he simply stepped out backwards
sliding quietly through the fog.
(Knowing of their fondly held belief
that Up is Good
he guessed they'd all be standing
with their faces turned towards the sky.)
So no one noticed.

When he passed me, halfway down the hill,
he put his finger to his lips.
"Don't tell," he whispered.
"Never fear," I shrugged,
"They haven't listened yet to anything I've said."

I've sometimes seen him since
- a glimpse or two,
a shadow disappearing round a corner,
but it's always seemed a good idea to leave him to his own devices.

Where ?
Not telling !
You can think of better things to do
than trailing after heroes
can't you ?

 A fragment from a non-canonical Gospel by an unnamed female disciple.

8th May 93

This was inspired by a priest friend who commented that Ascension was his favourite time of the year because it was the time when "Jesus got out of the way". That might sound surprising, but there is a danger that we focus so much on the person of Jesus that we lose sight of what we are called to do ourselves as his sisters and brothers. 

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