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I have never doubted the world to come Faith came as a child God was close in Jesus And in his mother mild The story set in Bethlehem The gospel and the cross The glorious rising Easter day The recovery from loss   The presence of this risen Lord The daily call to pray TheContinue reading “I Believe”

She was always there And now she’s not And so our life is changed Nothing lasts forever Things are rearranged   We stop and talk and wonder We gather into crowds Exchange of views and memories Everything out loud   Service of remembrance Thank God for her life Guns in salvoes echoing The bells ofContinue reading “All Change”

Grandiosity Is the order of the day Everything must be bigger than it is We must give people spectacle Magnificent sights and sounds Gone for good the ordinary Declared now out of bounds   The Queen has died – how terrible We must declare alarm Call the news now devastating And shocking – where’s theContinue reading “A Word”

She never said an unkind word Always prim and proper Embodiment of the nation Yes she was a topper Her personal life was not for us Her public role the issue She did it well and patiently So now we reach for tissue   She stood above the public fray Her role as unifier SymbolContinue reading “Bread For Brenda”

People in the pouring rain Procession of umbrellas Come to pay their last respects Business for flower sellers   A misty damp September day Birthday of Our Lady Elizabeth joins the heavenly court Surely she is ready   Head of State she embodied us Kept us all together Presidents and dictators Don’t know that kindContinue reading “At Close Of Day”

The concrete jungle is far away Balmoral in the mist Mother Nature all around Elizabeth’s place of bliss   I was five and just at school When Liz came to the throne All my life a gentle presence England’s marrowbone   A life of duty since a girl She had her own romance Then theContinue reading “Elizabeth Regina”

You cannot always win Sometimes you lose You cannot always be your best Sometimes you cannot choose Sometimes the wind blows fair for you Sometimes the wind blows foul Sometimes you are just so tired And life just takes it toll   The premier league demands success Nothing less will do Big boys and theirContinue reading “The Pace Of Life”

The day the doctor told him He sighed with great relief I think you’ve done enough, Michael Time has been a thief My father’s long life working Mines and war and mine Had taken its toll it’s time to rest Go sit in the sunshine   Today I felt a bit like that My legContinue reading “Days Of Ease”

Downing Street is theatre Podium in the street Blue-black bricks behind her Torrential rain so neat Liz she does a detour Wait for rain to cease The world must see her centre stage As she walks up to the crease   We have been just orphaned children Without parental guide The nation needs a leaderContinue reading “A Leader”

Steady rain Balmoral mist We cannot see too far And yet a sun is shining somewhere Somewhere there’s a star Ageing Liz meets rising Liz Another day begins The old queen happy in her highland home Britain in its sins   I do not have a castle But true I have my home And that’sContinue reading “Balmoral”

Luke 6:6-11   He healed the man with the withered hand Handy if you can get it Physical bodily health indeed What a joy is in it But it isn’t everything you know A happy heart’s a treasure And a spirit stronger every day That is this life’s measure   Good health’s been mine forContinue reading “No Withered Heart”

Crowds are uncontrollable You don’t know what they’ll do One minute they lay palms The next they crucify you Delirium at football games Then they hurl abuse Fickle frightening febrile Joyful then obtuse   Crowds they followed Jesus This he did not need So he turned to them and told them About his demanding creedContinue reading “Do You Follow?”

Briefly Only briefly on the stage Then he was gone History turned a page He smiled and we remembered His face lit up the room A warm communicator Gone – gone too soon   A little girl sat in the square She listened to him speak And turning to her father She gave a joyfulContinue reading “Albino Luciani”

My father’s schooling finished at fourteen But education lasted all his life I found him quiet thoughtful He’d never pontificate I see him yet an old man Leaning over a gate   Army life well suited him And his time in India The war blighted his chances Of a footballing career Married life and downContinue reading “Father’s Footsteps”

We went to the edge of the world we did From Tyldesley’s cobbled streets My mother’s home place Erris Where sea and mountain meet Across a sea and across a land And out beyond the world The EN Five Nine they call it now It goes where sea mists swirl   Only natives know thisContinue reading “Erris Beo”