Poems

 In my head

In my head,
my jogging becomes a run,
bounding over ditches
and crossing the finishing line well ahead of the field.

In my head,
my waistline diminishes,
I watch only the news on TV
and always work effectively.

In my head,
I think creatively,
wait patiently and love constantly.

In my head,
I practise relentlessly, exercise regularly
and pray constantly.

In my heart,
the butterfly flits, distractions distract
and the compass needle spins.

In my heart, sloth slides onto the sofa
and tomorrow never comes.

Lord, renew my heart and direct my thoughts,
through Jesus Christ my Lord – really…

             Christopher J Ellis

 

In a Country Church

In this church all is still,
but for the clock’s tick;
the bell ropes hang
waiting for the ringers’ tug.
The pews wait for restless worshippers
or tired travellers;
the windows send threads of sun
along the pews’ edges
and silence waits to be filled.

Something coalesces –
is it the presence of God?
or is it my racing pulse
slowing to the pace of reflected memories?
In the space,
in the silence,
in the need,
in the waiting,
there is room for God.

                       Christopher J Ellis

Remember

‘Remember in the dark what you learned in the light’

Darkness folds in and smothers hope:
directions disintegrate,
perspectives perversely shift,
space spins,
thought telescopes character crumbles.

The fish limp in poacher’s bag,
gagged hostage, foetal-folded,
bundled in the boot;
the scanned patient stripped and still,
torn between truth and mercy;
the unsleeping sleeper
staring at the unfriendly ceiling.

When nothing can be seen,
but fears dance like shadows at the stairs’ turn,
when action melts into gearless stare
and plans dissolve into passivity.

Now is the time:
when there is no looking forward
and the present is ominously stalled.

Now is the time to look back:
to remember daylight,
shafts of light casting clear shadows,
sparkles of sun lighting dark textures,
the search of memory bringing echoes of faithfulness,
of wisdom explored,
promises kept, love’s embrace.

To remember the light and wait for the light;
when pathos becomes patience,
when terror becomes trust,
when darkness dazzles with wonder and grace.

               Christopher J Ellis