Another poem from James Graham, taking us to the heart of Christmas as he addresses the Christ child in the manger ….
Cattle Shed
‘Hi kid’, I smile to hear you cry
As the breathy cattle low,
For the angels brought you from on high
To a stable here below.
Don’t make too much noise now,
With Herod’s men around,
Checking doors wherever the Messiah might be found.
Would you believe that Herod’s scared
Of such a tiny thing ?
He thinks you’ll raise an army
And be a mighty king.
What he hasn’t figured
Is that you could rule the earth
With nothing but the Word made flesh
In an infant’s virgin birth.
Yes, you’ll rule the earth, as it were spinning in your hand,
But first the trek through Egypt
And its alien desert sand.
For you’re a Jew and fate dictates
Your people wander far.
As Herod searches palaces,
He won’t know where you are.
First Carpenter then Rabbi
For your duty is to teach,
A crazy new idea, that you brought from above,
That peace should reign and men should treat
Their enemies with love.
Don’t worry about the Romans,
As Pilate takes the washing bowl.
For if they break your body
They cannot touch your soul.
It’s the kiss that you must fear
That, in its treachery,
Will fix your hands with iron nails
Upon the hanging tree.
So snuggle up there in the hay
And watch the ox and ass
You’ll get through Gethsemane
The chalice will not pass.
It holds life eternal,
The key to heaven’s door.
Where you will lead the faithful
Who will fear death no more.
I guess that’s why you’re down here.
Aleluia ! Save the tears.
So let the light shine from you,
The angels safely keep,
The One who’s come to save us,
As with ox and ass you sleep.
-
I love the line “so let the light shine from you”; that is what many artists have tried to show,to imagine, as they depict Christ as a source of light shining out from within.
Look at the East window in Lower Halstow for a local example – Alan
Last week I wrote about my experience with tortoises, and lo and behold yet another one,
300 years old and preserved in the guard room of Lambeth palace, where I arrived for a conference last week. This tortoise belonged to Archbishop Laud, Charles the first’s archbishop who lost his head as he stirred up the enmity of the Puritans. I found myself writing a kind of poem, from which you might gather something about his character….
To Master William Laud from his Tortoise…
Dear Master, much have I been moved and troubled by thy care of me,
thy humble servant, when I know most keenly of my silly uselessness…
How tenderly thou bendest thyself to minister to me a leaf of lettuce -
muttering under thy breath the while, imprecations gainst thine enemies !
Let it be said that I provide thee with a slight diversion;
for of late, thine enemies be many.
“Tuck thy head in, dear Master ! ” is my plea, not just the once but on our several
happenings.
And yet thou wouldest not.
For soothly thou persistest in thy ways as pedagogue, reproving this man for want of surplice,
that clerk for an undressed altar. I live in fright for thee, dear Master !
Dost thou not see, sometime to halt, consider and retire,
is yet better than to advance i’the fray ?
For such is the secret of my longevity, which I much fear will surely exceed thine own,
unless thou turnest from thy way. .
Such turns are not in harmony with thy nature; slight of stature thou mayest be
but most firm is thy disposition;
thou bendest to no man, yet only to a tortoise.
God bless thee, dear my Master !
In the quietness of my shell, I will pray for thee !
Alan Amos – see: http://www.ice.cam.ac.uk/who-we-are/institute-blogs/adrian-barlows-blog/833-world-and-time-the-lambeth-tortoise
( if you wish to use the above poem please do so with acknowledgment. )
