Anne's Poetry
The “unexpected King.”
Up the road I thought I saw,
From the car, as I flashed past,
On grass, a lama and a lamb -
Perhaps from plaster cast,
But later found out, walking by,
What really I’d seen there
Was a reindeer, striding out,
And a polar bear!
Long ago there was a Child
In the hay, as now we sing,
Lying in a manger poor -
Born to be our King.
Anne Byron
Adrift
Driftwood, not from the sea
but from a tree.
Ancient, layer upon layer
but ‘outer’ and dead.
Gnarled and creviced
as a limestone pavement.
Gorged and peaked
as Dolomite mountain
Found on the ground
adrift from its source
- and life-giving sap.
Are we like that -
out of contact?
Not receiving
sap of the Spirit?
Dry from drawing on
our own strength
Instead of the Lord’s,
our source of Life?
Impressive to look at
though dead inside
- without His ‘sight’?
But we have a Way
back to our God
Who waits to receive,
revive and redeem.
Whilst the flesh will die,
our spirits will live
In bodies like His -
our Saviour and Lord -
And we will praise Him,
beyond the grave,
- for eternity!
Anne Byron
Cutting through the moist air
On a damp Monday morning
As I “walked the park”.
Muffled motorway noises
Backdropped crows’ cawing
As I kicked through leaves
That had lost their crispness.
A light breeze ruffled branches
Still persisting in greenery
Though, deserted by sun,
Some shivered yellow.
And a piece of bark told
Of a time when, connected,
It lived, protecting
Its life-line sap.
In a changing season I sighed
Against the coming cold -
Yet, attached to my Living Lord,
Knew I’d survive!
“Take flight”
Mrs. Blackbird stood in my pathway -
On the grass, under the trees -
Silent, stunned was she,
Still as a stone,
Immobile, on my route,
Yet rooted to the spot
As if paralysed,
Face vacant, spaced out,
Not a flicker of eyes
But staring ahead
Unaware of my presence
Though I passed within inches.
She was still there
Half an hour later.
As I returned
I saw her silhouette,
Stark, dark against the green.
Did I imagine it
Or did the eyes move
As I approached?
But nothing happened
And, as I left, I prayed
She’d fly away
And next day
….the bird had flown…!
I’ve been like that - have you? -
Paralysed by fear,
Not knowing which way to turn,
What decision to make,
Staring at the problem
Rather than fix my eyes
On the Lord to pray
And, with the Spirit’s help,
Fly away!
(Today I saw a bird fly
From the same place
Into a tree.
I wonder…
Was it “she”?!)
Early Easter Morning (4.04.21)
Frost on the garden - the cold tomb was empty.
The sun isn't round - the Son isn't there.
But the sun has risen for a glorious day:
The Lord is risen - has provided the Way.
p.s.
When skies are grey, the sun is still there:
When life is hard, we're in His care.
Anne Byron
The Carpenter
The carpenter put down his tools.,
As was the custom, his apron, folded,
Was laid on his work -
Finished at last!
The head-cloth folded on stone.
Sin was defeated, forgiveness available.
His work was accomplished -
Job done at last!
Then Jesus Resurrected!
Death overcome, barrier down,
Now with His Father,
Will return at the last!
New Growth
A group of seven trees
Stand serene in the park,
Six, still tall and strong,
One, an ivy-covered stump
Is striving to produce a shoot,
To prove there is new growth.
Easter to Easter in lockdown,
They’ve bathed in Spring sunshine,
Been punished by prevailing winds,
Had branches broken by storms,
Then further pruned by professionals
Which would encourage new growth.
Once ankle-deep in water,
They looked a sorry sight,
But now, reviving in Spring,
Last year’s brown leaves forgotten,
They look forward to the green,
To begin to show new growth.
And we, a year on, remember
The singing from birds on branches,
The hurt from absence of hugging,
The cost of Covid loss,
The imposing of isolation
To ensure we’d have new growth.
Can we too revive this Easter? -
Draw sustenance from roots of faith,
Stand strong in Christ our Lord,
Who died His seeds to sow
And lived that we might live,
Put past behind - and grow!
Anne Byron 24.03.21
Lent Study: Mark1:9-15
Baptism: Blessed Assurance
Trusting to John’s strong arms,
Plunged, head back, breath taken, under water
For long seconds: then lifted to light,
To see the sky, the heavens torn
And a dove-like Holy Spirit come down,
Whilst, from above, the voice of God,
His Father, and ours, assures His Son,
His only begotten Son, He’s pleased with Him,
He loves His Son, is present in Him,
Son of God, Son of Man,
Jesus.
First snows and Hope (28.12.20)
First snows this morning, though mainly frost,
But the squirrel still scuttled up the tree
Onto the roof of the shed and away.
Brought out by the sun? But not here to stay!
Christmas Day done but lights still ablaze.
One excitement over, another to come
As shoppers gear up for New Year’s Eve,
Before, from 2020, we take our leave.
So now’s the time that we, looking back
And remembering this year (will we ever forget!),
A year of sadness, a year of frustration,
A year of grieving and consternation,
That we are still wishing for things we can’t do,
For people not seen before the ‘curfew’?
Still we are waiting for vaccines so new
And hope against hope that we’ll all pull through?
But our hope in our Lord is secure and certain!
Christmas Day gone, but He, ever with us,
Will guide us and keep us in His loving care
Till we go to meet Him, our burdens He’ll bear.
(… if we let Him!)
Snows have arrived but summer will come:
Spring will bring hope as life will renew.
The sun will replace the darkness we see:
God’s Son will redeem us with Life full and free.
(… if we ask Him).
... After
“Sufficient unto the day…” (Matt6:34)
or “God’s Umbrella”
Today it rained, as forecast:
‘Heavy by ten,’ it said.
So, attired in Mack and boots -
Over head a sturdy umbrella,
The sort that weathers the storm -
I strode down the wet pavement
And walked the narrow park path -
Ignoring the exercise machines!
The rain pelted on patterned nylon
To no avail, for I was dry,
But it set me thinking…
My vision was limited
By umbrella’s brim -
Revealing just enough
To see the way ahead,
As it came into view,
To keep on walking -
Like -
Taking one day at a time
In life’s journey:
‘Grace for the day’,
Depending on the Lord
For protection and strength
To shelter us from storms,
The troubles of life
That press and threaten
To wear us down
As does persistent rain.
But
We travel in His care,
Know -
He’ll bring us through,
Find a way out, (1Cor10:13)
If
We trust in Him,
Go one day at a time,
As gradually He reveals
The way ahead; so we
Can keep on walking
In His Light - (Ps119:105)
Under His umbrella!
Anne Byron 21.7.20
31.05.20
15.05.20
