Midnight

A day becomes a day, a night a night,
Dying from the evening’s long held twilight
Into a darker death before the resurrecting light.

A night becomes a night, a day a day,
As the presences that were have passed away,
The future that will be is here and for a while will stay.

The bell has ring its sound of dark finality
Pointing the past to rest, and what will be
Has come to take another step towards infinity.

Rise the stars and set the moon’s pale light,
The day has gone to beckon to its night
That it is time to stay the backwards vision’s sight.

For as it lies in final rest, another
Day comes to life, the echo of the other,
Sitting within the week’s womb, a sister with her brother.

WAR

No war is just.
The terms completely contradict each other.
When nation battles nation, brother kills brother,
Justice destructs.

There is no love
In fighting for the greater human cause.
We join in battle with each other just because
We have no love.

Where is the care?
And where the listening to another point of view?
Evil can never become good, nor falsehood true –
Arret la guerre!

Yes, stop the war
For every drop of blood that we have spilled,
For every parent, every child whom we have killed
Cries out before

Our creator
For the simple justice which they have but sought;
For the values which the Son of God has taught –
Salva nos, Pater!

Sleep

Relaxing so to breathe and breathe each breath,

I now descend into the lesser death

From which tomorrow, waking, I shall rise

Feeling the sun bring life to sleep filled eyes.

Eleven haikus

Golden, buried trees
Prepare for winter’s torment
As, naked, we die.

New blossom brings bees
To the orchard’s luring colours -
Harvest yet to come.

Snow lies and freezes
In the breath of frosty days’
Solar impotence.

Morning welcomes light,
Beckoning to the coming day -
Before night returns.

I kneel and reach weeds
To dig them out, roots too.
Next week they return.

A rose smells sweetly
By the ripening onion bed.
They smell when gathered!

Garlic moments now
Excite the gardener’s harvest;
They remain in you!

Beans climb to the sun
And grow from scarlet blossoms.
The wind destroys them.

We walk, holding hands
Within the dappled forest light.
Scattering rotting leaves.

I watch the moon rise
Over distant snow clad hills;
The bright night stars fade.

Clattering over falls
The brook disturbs the quiet,
Yet is peace itself.

Christians united

Pentecostal presence lighting up the congregation
Sacramental Catholics raise their voice in jubilation
Methodists who preach the word with power, authority,
And Anglicans complete the group to bring sincerity.

Denominational differences will now be set aside
Here in a world in which the power of God must be applied.
We'll pray together, act together, witness to this land
And do everything we can to bring about God's Kingdom plan.

We'll praise Him in our worship and recognise the pain
Of a world which has forgotten His resurrection gain.
So join me fellow Christian along this pilgrim way
And be my Christ-companion today and every day.

Christmas

Christmas is a time for love and joy,
A time to give and also to receive.
This is a time that hurries quickly by
For time which dragged now speeds and so deceives.

Poppy fields

Red it splashes
Through the wheat and barley,
Violent clashes
Of fiery colours, only

Marking the earth.
Lying on a flat map of patience;
Seeds give birth
To the colour of conscience.

Scarlet sky markers
Show the flowery way
To the earth's breast
From the fresh tilled day.

Rape only screams
At a yellowed sky;
Scarlet, the colour of dreams
Questions why

The farmer's curse
Is creation's delicacy?
As summer nears
Its own bright ecstasy.

The Saviour's hands
Touch this field and bleed
From deep wounds
Upon the waiting seeds.