Month: September 2022

Harvest ‘homily’

/ bgulland72 / Leave a comment

Do you ever give much thought about Harvest, that fulsome and foodie time of year
It sounds quite old-fashioned I grant you, and not often talked about, I fear
You may have your own particular memories, going to church, wondering, why all this food?
Seeing piles of pineapples, truckloads of tins, and something the dog maybe chewed
We live very differently from how our ancestors did, frugal and close to the land
When they sowed their own seed, and milked their own cows, and picked their own apples by hand
Now we get our food internet-ordered, packaged and boxed up and sealed,
Today’s kids, like us, are less connected to farming, some are lucky if they’ve ever seen a field
I wonder if there’s something we’ve lost in all this, (feel free to differ of course)
I wonder if we’ve lost a kind of sense of the big picture, creation, what’s behind it, the Source
I’m out on a limb here, freewheeling I know, so forgive me if this idea tanks
But I wonder if we’ve lost the old ‘attitude of gratitude’, the God-given desire to give thanks
So my challenge today is, look closer at your food shop, spend quality time with a pear!
And think about what and who grew it, I promise you’ll find something to give thanks for right there.

Best listened to! For BBC local radio & beyond…

Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay

Haven-seeking

/ bgulland72 / Leave a comment

Something strange has happened, something unforetold
Now the tide of grief withdraws, time the thing enfolds
Though our lives move briskly on, and memories fade away
Still I wonder, what of worth, in hearts and minds will stay?

Something deep in us was tapped, an inner wall was breached
Feelings hard to plumb were stirred, often out of reach
Dark and hidden reservoirs, deep within us welled
Grief for passing permanence, bubbled, rose and swelled.

For many in these isles, a rock was lost, that felt secure
In a changing world, for some, their footing feels less sure
Spirit of a nation feels, abruptly, more alone
Now those restless feelings, must find another home.

In a life so dedicated, might we find a clue
A hint to guide, a glint of light, to show us what to do?
In a hurting world, where hearts, like bobbing boats adrift
Seek safe haven, is there something here, which hearts may lift?

In these strange and shifting times, mournful tears have welled
Might it be a time to weigh afresh the hope she held?
Ponder where was rooted, that servant spirit poor
Humbly think again, upon that beckoning, welcome shore?

Image by Franck Barske from Pixabay

Audio. For BBC local & other radio stations

Putin poem

/ bgulland72 / Leave a comment

Putin you seem rattled, Putin you seem mad
Do you feel this gig has, on reflection, turned out bad?
Putin did you bite off, more than you could chew
When you thought “I want that country; think I’ll have it too”.

Had a big backyard already, should have made you proud
Spoke of it in glowing terms, in speeches long and loud
When you hatched your mayhem, with your cronies few
Did it cross your mind Ukraine might be a proud place too?

When you thought “not big enough, I need a bit more land”
Did you for a moment think, things might get out of hand?
When you sent your tanks to put a country on the wrack
Did you think, that country might just want its country back?

Mister Putin, though you huff and puff and stare and pout
Mister Putin I’m not sure you’ve got this thing worked out
But before you hit the buffers, and you lose the plot
Stop and think, “you know what, I’ve already got a lot.”

Come on Mister Putin, it’s time to cut your losses
Face it Mister Putin, you’ve not been the best of bosses
We’ll all feel much happier, if you stop seeing red
That would help us all sleep much more peaceful in our beds.

Image by Дмитрий Осипенко from Pixabay

Adieu to the Queen

/ bgulland72 / Leave a comment

What a memorable time it has been
A kind rarely witnessed or seen
And if you were there, I guess few things compare
With bidding adieu to the Queen.

People lined up, determined and bold
Five miles long, through the night and the cold
If you queued for Her Maj, then you merit a badge
And the odd person got one, I’m told.

Cool, calm and never in a stew
She liked to ask “What do you do?”
With her handbags and hats, and her corgis (not cats)
Ever constant and loyal and true.

And so at the end of the day
I wonder what we’ll take away
Something deep has occurred, quite profound, in a word
But its lasting fruit, well, who can say?

Image by Zorro4 from Pixabay

September Soliloquy

/ bgulland72 / Leave a comment

It’s early September, the turn of the year, and summer is waning, and we’re back into gear
The high days and holidays have all but departed, and there in their place, well, school has just started
Or is about to, and days running barefoot on grass, give way now to days sitting book-bored in class
For some there’s commuting, and back to the grind, irked by the colleague who doesn’t seem to mind
Clubs and societies start up again, ‘back to normal’ can be quite invigorating, but then
While you may like the changes, you might just feel dread; (the ‘cost o’ living’ malarkey isn’t going back to bed)
But whatever your thoughts, and whatever your feelings, whether raring to go, or actually just reeling
The start of this month can be a time to take stock, reflect just a little, take a break from TikTok
Ask deeper questions, what am I living for, is it really just the house and the kids, two point four?
Am I happy with life, is it going just right, or is there something I’m missing, maybe just out of sight?
Some kind of grounding, some spiritual light, that might make life richer, more hopeful and bright?
In the late summer period, when green leaves are turning, why not make it a season of wisdom and learning
In routine, find adventure, and rediscover awe; you might find some beauty that you’d not seen before.

Image by Petra from Pixabay