Good Book Mcmlxxi Poem by Terry Collett

Good Book Mcmlxxi

Rating: 5.0


Dom Frederick
talked of his book
on the old abbey
as we cleared weeds
from the abbey garden,

hyacintho caelum
et album nubes,

summer sun on the heads
and hoes in our hands,

a single sunbeam
is enough to drive away
many shadows said Francis,

there she lay
and welcoming me in
and so I lay with her,

amplius lava me
ab iniquitáte mea
et a peccáto meo
munda me,

Hugh sat in the novice's room
glum faced and turning
a pencil between fingers
talking of Dom George
and his knitting,

touching the rough bricks
of the cloister wall with fingers
as I passed by
on my way to the church,

dans l'amour de Dieu
nous sommes sauvés
the French monk said
as he showed me
how to lay
the priestly garments,

fingers on smooth cloth
silk soft as her flesh,

a broken spirit
is the true sacrifice
Dom Charles said
quoting a psalm
as he breathed on an apple
and then polished it
on a cloth,

no matter how thin
you slice it
there will always be
two sides Gareth said
quoting Spinoza
talking of his student days,

fiducia a Dio
the Italian monk said
and he sliced an apple
for us both to taste,

enter me slowly
she said
my husband is far away
he will never know,

His glory covers the heavens
and the stars were His gems
and the moon his medallion,

George said we we sat
in the gardens for repose
I cannot stay here
much longer
the nights are too cold
and my bones complain,

Dom Robert spoke
of butterflies and said
the Red Admiral was his favourite
and he showed me
as it fluttered by
in the cloister garth,

His spirit breathes
and the waters flow
the Good Book
Hugh said
says so.

Friday, May 6, 2016
Topic(s) of this poem: religious
COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Tom Billsborough 07 May 2016

Hyacinth blue sky and white clouds, is it. My Latin is fading though I still read Virgil. With French I'm on firm ground! This is a delightful piece, Terry. Certainly one of your best. It's going into my favourite poems, if I figure out how to do it!

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