Valentines, the day of love, I wonder how it feels to you Does it give you butterflies, or does it leave you in a stew? Whether you’re a 14th fan or not, I ask you, bear with me Follow now these ruminations, maybe something fresh we’ll see I’m-fascinated by the notion, of a love that’s secret, hid Could it be, on some new facet of such love, I’ll lift the lid I sometimes wonder, as I walk, or stumble through my every day If some signs of secret love, are being strewn across my way That golden light upon a building, fragile bird, a small child’s face Are these lovely things a sign of something more, a mark of grace? Even things that aren’t so pleasant, problems, pitfalls, painful trials Might be used to bless us, if we’re patient, later, in a while In these troubled times, the love of God is sometimes far from plain Still the heavenly music plays, attune your ears, you’ll catch a strain Maybe most of all, God wants his love to dwell in humble heart Will I give his love a chance to change me, will I make a start?
Second audio is the correct one – can’t seem to remove the first.
What do we make of, well yeah, Valentines, the day of red hearts, flowers and chocolate and wine It doesn’t look so fluffy and sweet and divine, when you think of the ruthless pursuit, of-the-bottom-line How did a day praising love and connection, come to be such a brash profit-driven confection? How did a theme of such beauty and soul, in a money-ruled world occupy such a role? See how the environment’s also given birth, to a reckoning with how we now impact the earth It costs a great deal both to grow and to ship, flowers that next day may end up on a tip It’s not just the day’s not to everyone’s taste; with the cards and the packaging, there’s a whole lot of waste; We’re split how we view Valentines, it’s a mix, for some the whole day can’t be over too quick Is it cuddles and kisses and breakfast in bed? For others the day evokes nothing but dread But how might it be if we looked a bit deeper, I hazard there’s truth out there, though it’s a ‘sleeper’ It’s ironic, to celebrate love secret, concealed – when the best love of all, that was hidden – ‘s now revealed A love we might run from, and hide and ignore, a love that invites, and ignites, that’s a door Through which any one of us can step through and find, a comfort enfolding, embracing and kind And so on a day that can be hit or miss, whether you love it or loathe it, it’s worth hearing this: There’s a love that like hawk on the wing reaches far – that seeks out and can save you, whoever you are.
For BBC local radio & other interested stations. Image by rzierik at Pixabay
This Valentines, we’re all locked down – that’s guaranteed to make love frown Steals its thunder, pushes it under, makes it blunder, takes its crown And instead of a love-heart and flowers and take your loved one out You’ll be lucky if your Beth or Bart just showers n doesn’t pout If he just cooks, or she just books a takeaway tonight At least content to look the part – not run for it in fright.
Love’s important, makes the world go round, and we want to express It kinda neatly, not too sweetly, and keep calm, you know, not stress But we still worry, frown and fret, and get all tense and anxious, yet If we could just relax a bit, that’d be by far a better bet.
Love’s intense, can be immense, gets you-off the fence, spare no expense You feel you’re flying, I’m not lying, gets you swooning, laughing, crying You’ll scale a wall, feel ten feet tall, and ask “It’s late, can I still call?” And agonise, fall down then rise – and then forget about it all.
I believe it – take or leave it – that the world vibrates with love It’s all around, and it abounds, it’s deep within, without, above As I learn to let it burn down in my heart and in my veins I find I’m falling more in love with its melodious strains This love divine, I let it shine in me, it fills and it redeems Has power to transform human love, so – with glory – it gleams.
For BBC Radio Leeds, BBC Bradford & other stations…
February fourteenth, Valentines, red hearts, romance – you know the signs The ads and fads (a lot quite bad), the schmaltz and cheesy lines They say that love is blind, it’s in the heart and in the mind But every February we find, the usual tropes revert to kind We’ll take any chance to shine – with just a sweet romantic line…
This year we’re all locked down – that’s guaranteed to make love frown Steals its thunder, pushes it under, makes it blunder, takes its crown And instead of a love-heart and flowers and take your loved one out You’ll be lucky if your Beth or Bart just showers n doesn’t pout If one just cooks, or the other books a fancy takeaway tonight At least content to look the part – not run for it in fright.
The day of love, when push comes to shove, is actually always fraught Because we’re human, we get in a stew man, and it’s easy to get caught In all the pressure, expectation, and some bad sleep deprivation In houses up and down the land, and all across the nation Love’s important, makes the world go round, and we want to express It kinda neatly, not too sweetly, and keep calm, you know, not stress But we still worry, frown and fret, and get all tense and anxious, yet If we could just relax a bit, that’d be by far a better bet.
This is me now, don’t you see now, I’m just talkin’ as one fella I’m no Valentine-o fanboy, I’m no ‘day of romance’ seller If I was I’d leave now cos I’ve no ambition to be toast I’ll just say hey, you know, we all want to be loved by someone most It’s so intense, you know, immense, gets you-off the fence, spare no expense You feel you’re flying, I’m not lying, gets you swooning, laughing, crying You’ll scale a wall, feel ten feet tall, and ask “It’s late, can I still call?” And agonise, fall down then rise – and then forget about it all.
What makes this one day special is the secrecy of course To be the admirer of Luke or Lyra, speak in code, you know, like morse And there’s something we adore, we want it more, the mystery Of wondering ‘who loves me?’; I don’t mean brotherly or sisterly When you send a card, and be a love bard, you get a magic thrill, a shiver Like running down a bank and jumping starkers in a river And if you find you’ve got that kind of place in someone’s heart There ain’t no poet that can quite express the feeling, there’s no art.
(pause). But the thing that most excites me, daily smites me, makes me quiver Is to think these tributaries of love flow to a bigger river The mystery of love at Valentines – it leads us on And shows us something deep about the heart of things, no con I believe it – take or leave it – that the world vibrates with love It’s all around, and it abounds, it’s deep within, without, above As I learn to let it burn down in my heart and in my veins I find I’m falling more in love with its melodious strains This love divine, I let it shine in me, it fills and it redeems Has power to transform human love, so – with glory – it gleams.
A Bruce moment 