The old man stands
Keeping watch over the waves
Time passes
Sunrise to sunrise
The years day is long
Tides ebb and flow
Through sun and storm
Still he remains
On guard
Waiting for the day
When he will be released
And come to rest
Eternal
New Year 2015
Year turns end on end
Promise lies waiting
As I walk
With hushed expectancy
Pondering the dawn
Of the new year
Tatties and blackbirds
The autumn sun emerges from behind the clouds
Sending shafts of sunlight to play in the garden
While the dry patch lasts
I head into the garden
To harvest the last of the tatties
They emerge from the ground
Precious jewels of the earth
Tumbled into the bucket
I stand
Admiring God’s work
And in a tree
A blackbird starts to sing.
NB : For those who aren’t used to English slang – ‘tatties’ are another word for potatoes.
The Bench
At the side of the path
The bench invites me to sit
To soak in the calm
Listen to the wind
Rustling in the autumn leaves
Watch the play of sun
On the ground
And be
Just be
A moment in time
I blink
And before I stop to pause
The summer has been and gone
I stroll along the river bank
Wild grasses dance in the breeze as I pass
Bleached white by the sun and the wind
Leaves rustle overhead
Edges painted the first fiery tint of autumn
And the river rushes by
Heading at full pace into the future
Woodland Symphony
Sat on a log
Listening to the quiet
Breeze lifting the leaves into a rustling dance
Sound of a pheasant calling in the distance
Water ripples along, hidden from view
Insects buzz past, on a secret mission
And in the tree above
A blackbird sings in celebration
Change of Scene
Different place, different time… I’ve been in my new post for 3 months now, and am slowly adjusting to the place, the people, and being back in full-time ministry. To the nitty-gritty of church life, where there are the usual challenges. Too few people doing too much, some wanting change, others wanting things to remain the same. Financial issues. Building problems. But where there are the usual joys, of praying, loving people. Of being in a community of faith which is striving to seek the will of God.
The mountains are higher up here, snow dusted even at this time of years. The nearby loch is still surrounded by wind-bleached grass. Deer come down into the glen to graze on the spring growth. A time of new beginnings, of exploration, of adventure.
