St Michael's Church, Betws-Y-Coed Poem by Sheena Blackhall

The gravestone details are chipped out in Welsh,
Betws-y-Coed, prayer house in the wood’s
A honeypot of sun where monks once prayed
In Welsh and Latin, by the Holy Rood

It’s seen much change, here in the Gwydyr Forest
Sanctuary to merlin, buzzard, hawk
Within the graves lie footpads, bards and shepherds
Listen, as ghostly farmers turn to talk

A thousand years the yews have flourished here
Under the flash of mediaeval glass
Above the sacred doorway, swallows swoop
A tiny cricket chirrups in the grass