Sonnet

All are assembling and coming towards you.
Your sons from far away.
From all corners of the world the wind blew.
This was the centre of the Universe on this glorious day.

People concentrate on the stature of the three kings.
But isn’t the real point that the first pilgrims came from all peoples.
This was to be a faith spread on distant wings.
Soaring like eagles.

It started with the humblest of followers.
The shepherds came first.
Then every faith and creed became wallowers.
All for truth had this insatiable thirst.

Can we too welcome people from far away.
Just seekers like us are they.

Haiku

Welcome far people
Just seekers like us for truth
So like us are they

Sonnet

My children, do not let anyone lead you astray.
To live a holy life.
Fast fails the day.
Ending all strife.

I was dreaming of the future of oblates.
If the monks leave an abbey for elsewhere.
Perhaps they should open heart’s gates.
They could continue to pray and sing the office there.

Was not St Benedict a layman at first.
Can there not be more of a role for lay people.
Can they not too for commitment thirst.
Can they not climb faith’s steeple.

There may be an important role with full involvement.
But that does not affect their full commitment.

Haiku

Not full involvement
But yet still full commitment
If thirst to commit

In pricipio erat verbum et verbum erat apud deum.
Et deus erat verbum.
This voice will never be dumb.
Maranatha, come lord, come.

Last night I had three dreams on being subject to control.
I was in a medieval village, which I could not leave without the lord’s blessing.
I was in a queue of MPs waiting to vote, stockpiled like sheep on parole.
And I was on a lonely island seeing a rescue ship arrive yet being happy remaining.

It is better to stick to the basics and have this lightning rod.
In the beginning was the word.
And the word was with God and the word was God.
Really everything else is faintly absurd.

Obseculta O fili praecepta magistri et incline aurem cordis tui.
Listen son and turn the ear of your heart to the precepts of your master, all else is hooey.

Haiku

In principio
Erat verbum et verbum
Erat apud God

Sing a new song to the Lord for he has worked wonders.
His right hand and his holy arm have brought salvation.
We hope and pray he will resolve all our blunders.
His voice will carry to every nation.

I was dreaming something virtuous, a true industrious worker bee.
Then my thoughts descended into pain.
I pictured our mental gaze as a many branched tree.
Thoughts can wander off into regret wherever they can find some stain.

Or our initial benign thought is like our wrist.
In a moment it can travel down any of our five fingers in any direction.
But as pain engulfs us we can order it to desist.
Wrenching it back to benign love despite our dark side’s objection.

Did the saints have to struggle so.
Did they like us start every day anew rising then laid low.

Haiku

Did saints struggle so
Start every day anew rise
Then laid low again

Today a light will shine upon us.
For the Lord is born for us.
We may endlessly probe, question and discuss.
But in reality it is, will be and always has been thus.

Last night at the dying of the year I watched a candle burn down to the wick.
Once so strong, so straight, now the flame wavered and died.
And the new candles burned bright, oblivious to their colleague being so sick.
But one day that fate will befall them too despite their pride.

But in that last brief splutter.
I took the flame still bright.
And passed it on easily and without even a stutter.
And so it continued reborn, that light.

Thus our life and light will fade and die with scarcely a sigh.
But our flame will live on to the new year and for ever, our end really is not nigh.