Holocaust Poem - The Survivors' Verse

 

My writing group read and performed at a Holocaust Memorial Event on January 26th. This is the fourth section of the piece I wrote for the event (there wasn't time for the whole thing) although written for the Event it might apply to any culture under pressure

 

- The Survivors' Verse :

 

Survivors cannot forget, cannot want to forget, to betray those left behind

This is how we remember, by doing those things we have always done

And always will, with or without you, because they tried so hard to finish you

It's who you were, who you are

 

So come break bread, light a candle

Tie fast to the faithful line of history

At this our point in time

Drink deep and remember who you are

 

To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven

 

There is a time for reaching out and a time for drawing in

A time for trying new things and a time for treasuring what has lasted

There is a time for closing the doors on the storm and a time for opening the windows to the sun

A time for forgiveness, a time for healing and a time for remembering

Each of us only has so much time.

Ghosts

A poem in tribute to the camaraderie of team sports, and a friend forced to retire. 

 

Ghosts

 

Our ghosts play on

While we wash and change

And weary back to work

 

The empty hall echoes in our absence

As he flicks the ball up so he can turn and volley

As another runs hard, chops back and shoots

As he slides past obstacles and hammers one goalward

While urgent messages bounce off the walls, coded,

A pass goes astray, is not forthcoming, too early too late,

Or follows a perfect trajectory, picks out, pinpoint

As he fills the space obscuring the target, no sense no feeling - no goal

 

All the shirts don’t match, training tops, replicas, vintage

and the teams reshuffle each week

 

A player slaloms smoothly, the ball always in possession, rolling.

Another stands over the ball, teases, twitches, waiting for the moment

One runs onto the ball, ignores shouts to shoot and plays in another,

Another holds the ball ignoring pleas to pass,

keeps the ball out of reach until, left foot, bam !

Another lets off a volley, of how unhappy he is with his team

These boys are chameleons, serious then smiles, real wild cards

 

Others came and went,

retired, moved on, but you,

You were taken from us,

And every reminder puts you back in the hall

in triumph or dismay, treating each with good humour

 

A cry for a foul, handball, disputed goal, disputed score,

a pass, an apology, proper marking,

all echo around while we wait for the next match.

 

Your ghost is in there too, finding space, trapping neatly,

holding up and driving one through.

 

The ghosts play on, organised or shambolic,

winning by teamwork, or individual skills and passion,

lucky bounce, unlucky deflection, patient decision or rash folly,

zig zag passes finished crisply,

unstoppable, blocked, intercepted, breakaway,

no one’s tracking back !

 

Appreciation grown over time,

of who and what we are,

respect friendship analysis

 

Blood sweat and tears, mostly sweat

 

Our ghosts they play on,

long after the inquest for this week’s game has ended,

waiting for our return.

Take A Moment (Carol Service Christmas 2021)

 

 

Just take a moment to breathe

As Jesus took his first breathe

And take another

as he gave up his last

the whole of God’s love, holiness and mercy

lived out between those two breaths

 

Take a moment to see

See how he came

The humblest of origins

No privilege for this Prince, of Peace,

The Word of God made flesh

 

Relinquishing the glory of heaven

And the intimacy of the Father

Dependent on the Holy Spirit

Born to a disgraced young woman

And her humbled husband

Lain in a feeding trough

To be honoured by night workers

 

Take a moment to wonder

Where were the other relatives of Joseph

Called to the census in Bethlehem

Could they not find room in their lodgings,

in their hearts for Mary,

No bed, no dignity, no compassion

Take a moment to see

who today has no bed, no dignity

Is afforded no compassion ?

Don’t let Christmas obscure the truth

 

And wise and educated men came

But not from the palace or the priesthood

But foreigners from the East

with their symbolic gifts

Led by a star,

followed with faith and understanding

Let us be led

by signs and wonders too, followed by faith

 

And take a moment to see

the family’s flight to Egypt

Refugees with a child, stateless and status-less

Running from persecution

To the land of the Pharaohs

who had enslaved their ancestors

As we were once enslaved, by sin,

by greed, by pride

 

See patient Mary, waiting,

Thirty years of knowing who he was

Pondering how this could be

Let us ponder how this could be

Knowing we all should die, all except he

that’s how he saves us, undeserved

the only one who needn’t die

 

Take a moment to see

the violence that followed his birth

for threatening power and prestige

would return and put him to death

for threatening power and prestige

such are human hearts

blind to his selfless love

to his healing and miracles and acceptance

man’s contempt for the life that has been granted

and He who gives us life

 

And the life of the Jesus,

between those two breaths

was a gift of love, that brings us life

The star shining in the darkness

Proclaiming everlasting life

 

Just take a moment to consider

so many people in the world this Christmas

They all need what you have

– hope in Jesus