The Palace Moat (Little Bird)
I glimpsed you on the palace moat,
A flash of iridescent blue, illusive,
skimming the water, vanishing into the bushes on the bank,
There for a minute moment of magical unworldliness
and transient mystery.
But you are no figment, that I know.
God's little creature, your presence caused me joy,
Your appearance for that tiny part of time
Was, to me, a precious, priceless part
Of the lifetime of memories,
Stored within, I shall treasure forever.
The moment has passed,
You are as real as the ground on which I stand,
But as fleeting as the air.
I seek,
I can’t see you,
Where are you now?
St Andrew’s Well
Crystal clear water springing
Out from the earth,
Fresh from the Mendips,
Fount of new life.
Laughingly you make your way
From this secret location
Into the bustling streets of the town,
Sustaining and cleansing,
Gently refreshing,
From the temple of God -
Symbol of all that is good.
Autumn
O you photosynthesising factories
Absorbing energy,
Making carbohydrates
From the simplest ingredients;
O miracle, O chlorophyll,
Your job is done.
The days shorten,
Your green withdraws,
Leaving precious metallic hues -
Gold, orange, yellow, red, purple, brown and bronze -
Skeleton silhouettes
Cling tenuously to frail branches.
You fall,
You carpet the ground
As richly as any palace deserves,
Beauty in fading, watery light.
Then trodden,
Eaten,
Crushed,
Absorbed,
The nutrients within
Are cycled for another season.
Life is promised, because there is no death;
Death precedes resurrection.
