The idea is to fill Facebook with poetry: To anyone who likes this thread, I will assign a poet. All you need to do is to find a poem from this poet that you like, upload it or link to it, and add this prefix. Then when anyone Likes it you give them a poet and carry on from there. Andy Elliott assigned me John Betjeman and I plumped for Verses Turned. Although I am not a religious man it speaks to me of the beauty and serenity which a visit to a church can instil in the heart of a believer. John Betjeman Verses Turned... Across the wet November night The church is bright with candlelight And waiting Evensong. A single bell with plaintive strokes Pleads louder than the stirring oaks The leafless lanes along. It calls the choirboys from their tea And villagers, the two or three, Damp down the kitchen fire, Let out the cat, and up the lane Go paddling through the gentle rain Of misty Oxfordshire. How warm the many candles shine Of Samuel Dowbiggins design For this interior neat, These high box pews of Georgian days Which screen us from the public gaze When we make answer meet; How gracefully their shadow falls On bold pilasters down the walls And on the pulpit high. The chandeliers would twinkle gold As pre-Tractarian sermons rolld Doctrinal, sound and dry. From that west gallery no doubt The viol and serpent tooted out The Tallis tune to Ken, And firmly at the end of prayers The clerk below the pulpit stairs Would thunder out Amen. But every wandring thought will cease Before the noble altarpiece With carven swags arrayd, For there in letters all may read The Lords Commandments, Prayer and Creed, And decently displayd. On country mornings sharp and clear The penitent in faith draw near And kneeling here below Partake the heavenly banquet spread Of sacramental Wine and Bread And Jesus presence know. And must that plaintive bell in vain Plead loud along the dripping lane? And must the building fall? Not while we love the church and live And of our charity will give Our much, our more, our all.
Posted on: Sun, 26 Jan 2014 08:39:17 +0000