Postscript
by Seamus Heaney
And some time make the time to drive out west
Into County Clare, along the Flaggy Shore,
In September or October, when the wind
And the light are working off each other
So that the ocean on one side is wild
With foam and glitter, and inland among stones
The surface of a slate-grey lake is lit
By the earthed lightning of a flock of swans,
Their feathers roughed and ruffling, white on white,
Their fully grown headstrong-looking heads
Tucked or cresting or busy underwater.
Useless to think you’ll park and capture it
More thoroughly. You are neither here nor there,
A hurry through which known and strange things pass
As big soft buffetings come at the car sideways
And catch the heart off guard and blow it open.
The beauty and the glory of the world caught my heart off guard many years ago - in Autumn, in Sheffield - and I began to search for the Creator of it so that I could say Thanks.
After nearly two years of looking, two Jehovah's Witnesses called at my door. I asked them in and they showed me what the Bible on my shelf had been telling me all along.
Which is why I know I must now do my best to tell others, all those who want to hear. And in any case isn't this the work that Jesus left for all his followers to do?
Sunday morning early there were cars parked all over the Green, as we had some kind of a fun run on. The road is blocked off so I attended the congregation in Zoom. I used to find walking fun - and a few years ago I would just have walked to the Hall. Its a beautiful walk, with the English Channel accompanying me for half the way.
I had a lovely surprise on Saturday afternoon when Col rang to say he was coming back early from his dig! He had gone away for the weekend, booked into a B&B,so I wasn't expecting him until Sunday evening. And he never comes back early from anything. He is usually there when they open The Field and is there when they close it.
He took the photo of the mute swan - somewhere - and some time ago.
Here is a sign of the economic times. On Monday I suggested to Col that we get a chicken and I would roast it - its time I ate some meat I think - and he could happily live off cold chicken for a couple of days. The butcher was closed so he went to Waitrose and got a Duchy free range organic - we try to go organic/free range/line caught for the sake of both ourselves and the creature. It cost £18.00!!
the last time I bought a chicken I was shocked to find myself spending £9.00. They have literally doubled in price.
The Monday News was full of the fact that Liz Truss is to be our next Prime Minister. All the best to her, in a difficult time, and thanks to our outgoing PM, Boris Johnson for steering us through difficult times too. It is a thankless and impossible job, whoever does it.
No comments:
Post a Comment