25. Magnificat

‘Magnificat’ by Tessa Hawkes - in Saffron Walden Church

Mary kneels

before the kiss

of angel

and the promises

of Christmas

and Easter;

twins

she will carry

in joy and grief.

The cradle and cross -

incomprehensible pain

and blessing of

bloody entrances

and exits.

Deep calls to deep

Deep calls to deep

the imprint of God upon the ghost of spirit,

a watermark in virgin paper,

a tincture of a whisper

from creation’s nativity.

We too bring gifts to the child –

the twisted gold tinsel

crown for a king,

fragrant candle

for a deity,

the romantic fairytale

an antiseptic for reality.

This is a death and entrance,

a lower case alpha and omega,

the bracketed phrase

in the sentence of eternity.

This is no stable

mucked out and sterile

but God among

the droppings

of mankind.

Advents

‘In the beginning’……

Was there ever a ‘beginning’

in this journey from Alpha to Omega

when the first and last juxtapose

and the greatest and least

spin upon an axis.

‘In the beginning the word’

spoken into a void

conjured significance

from nothing

and love and pain in tandem

begin their industry.

‘In the beginning’

uncreated light begat light

not with candle

gentle, unassuming, comfortable;

but with tidal dawn -

a birthing

bloody, confident, exposing.

And the end was the beginning

for the beginning

began

the end.

Come the morning

Christmas (Come the morning)

Come the morning

sparkled bright and clear

when drear night turns away.

Come the morning

cloudless with angels,

new as fresh snow,

guiltless.

Come the morning

unspoiled, unbroken,

unambiguous

before the bigamy

of disparate ideals.

Come the morning

with the clarity

of freshly sprung water.

Come the morning

smelling of newborn.

Come the morning

and the gentle cries

of the child.

Come the morning.

illuminant

Where timeless
praise entertains days
and love-filled lives
bloom and never fade,
where warmth and comfort
clothe and keep
and fellowship spreads
like an Autumn blanket of gold.
Where you and I and us and them
are one in wonder,
won in joy
and all, it seems,
is illuminescent light.
Where no shade or shadow
hides ambushing, hateful, hurts
nor greed nor pride
need constant feed.
Where all imagination's tides
fall short of reality
and ‘You are’ becomes ‘I AM’,
the passing curtain lifted
reveals worship unconfined.

Let's all raise our candle
and celebrate light
a flickering festival
of hopefilled delight.
Tiny flames joining
together as one,
a lighthouse lantern
illuminant Son.

deep calls to deep

Deep calls to deep,

the imprint of God upon the ghost of spirit,

a watermark in virgin paper,

a tincture of a whisper

from creation’s nativity.

We too bring gifts to the child –

the twisted gold tinsel

crown for a king,

fragrant candle

for a deity,

the romantic fairytale

an antiseptic for reality.

This is a death and entrance,

a lower case alpha and omega,

the bracketed phrase

in the sentence of eternity.

This is no stable,

mucked out and sterile,

but God among

the droppings

of mankind.

Advent Oddessy

The new book for Christmas 2012.

From rhyme and free verse to narrative meditation, there will be something in 'Advent Oddessy'  for most tastes. 
Don't expect to like it all or to find all the pieces 'comfortable' or 'nice'  because there was little that was comfortable  about that first Advent.   The 'wise men' only appear in passing due to their being late to the party. And here we won't dabble with the villain of the piece - Herod doesn't  feature at all. 

 to sample some of the pages click on this.   Better still, follow the prompts and BUY a copy.  Makes a great Christmas present so buy one for someone else too!

Advent Oddessy by Keith Wallis | Make Your Own Book

brightly fallen

It’s brightly fallen

this random rich clothing

on the welcoming ground:

the bright glister of gold

echoing sharp sunlight

of shortening days.

More regal than faux red carpet,

a crown beneath my feet:

the pre-Advent promise of a King

in the waiting wings

of the closing of the year.

A short-lived hosanna of Autumn,

before greying to shroud

in the clench of unwelcome Winter

and the uninvited bite

of reality

when the King

like these trees is stripped.

Advent Candle #3

The Third Candle (The Candle of Joy)

Advent candle #3

Heaven’s voice is ringing early

its seasonal chorale

cascading through the well shopped streets

with the waterfall of glory.

And the tills sing out their victory

as the bankrupt bleed

on the battleground of greed.

Yet joy is to be found

in shopping mall and marketplace

when quiet voices

with shepherds’ hearts

respond to heaven’s greater tone.

Advent calls

Advent calls 

Cold, dark, deceptive, 

void of light
and Advent calls -
voices in the wilderness.
An intercourse of eternity with time
brings gentle childlight
journeying into night
as angel, shepherd,
and sage become aware
of light in dark places.
Advent calls,
its thorny voice
will separate and join.

A carpet for the King

A carpet for the King

Advent announced the carpet is laid;

a million gold-brown joys

smother colding grasses.

Winter hides around the turn of days,

its cold beckoning

an ambush for fading light.

Winds trumpet changes -

scolding tarrying clouds

and spreading the royal mat

to forgotten corners.

These are not palm leaf welcome

hiding bitterness in their greeting.

These are bitter days

heralding the warmth

of Christmas love.