A Fireburnt country

The world knows that my country is currently being devastated by severe fires, beyond what has been experienced before. Man-made climate change seems responsible – temperatures are getting hotter and hotter, much of the country has been in prolonged drought, so the bush is ready and waiting to burn at a single spark. Millions of…

Moonrise

Moonrise paints the land in an eerie glow yellow fire on the lake trees and grasses painted black against eldritch light lap of water, sigh of wind song of nightbird and insect otherworldly land presided over by the golden, alien moon   Moonset, fade to black for a moment only awaiting the dawn sun shining…

The Burning Year

A country, wreathed in smoke coughs its way to a new year homeless and displaced fleeing the lethal fires lives and livelihoods gone wildlife wiped out the burning goes on and on hospitals overrun by the breathing compromised no end in sight hope fading fast   while the ones in charge insist all is well…

Singing Christmas

I love a good Christmas carol Singing peace on Earth Christ is born Come let us adore Him   We sing of shepherds getting supernatural visitation we sing of wise men taking a leap of faith we sing of a family out in the cold of a child born in poverty bearing the gift of…

Review “The Bishop’s Wife” (1947)

Never mind the Hallmark movies, if you want a great Christmas film, you can’t go wrong with this. Starring Cary Grant, David Niven and Loretta Young, “The Bishop’s Wife” involves Bishop Henry Brougham (David Niven) who becomes obsessed with the idea of building a cathedral. This needs funds, and his main donor is a self-absorbed…

A midnight, clouded

And man, at war with man, hears not The love-song which they bring; O hush the noise, ye men of strife, And hear the angels sing. No! shout the people of strife We won’t listen! Love is meaningless Peace is for the strong Justice is for the rich So tell heaven’s all-gracious king we will…

Keeping Christmas

Check the clock, organize shop, visit, eat, drink invitations issued and accepted, cards dutifully filled out gifts dutifully bought tick off the to-do list until at last it’s all organized Christmas by the numbers   How much is duty how much is expectation how much is actual love how much is remembrance of God’s great…

Lovely

He’s lovely, truly lovely Old bulldog with squashed in face, plenty of drool, stinky doggy breath with wagging rump and happy pants pleased to meet me and get pats and praise so lovely   Lovely, so lovely, stray cat in the shelter battle-scarred and scruffy, face only a mother could love climbing into my lap,…

Our Earth, Our Mother

Dawn over the water Early morning glow of gold and red reflecting back from the blue depths Spring announces itself with buds encapsulating promises of glorious colour Baby leaves begin to unfurl on mostly bare trees Birds sing softly it’s a new day   And in this moment the world turns In this beauty all…