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St Mary's Pro-Cathedral of the Diocese of Aberdeen and Orkney

St Mary's Pro-Cathedral, Carden Place, Aberdeen

Pro-Cathedral of the Scottish Episcopal Diocese of Aberdeen and Orkney

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Poem Competition 2021

Competition rules:

  1. Anyone who wishes to enter the competition should submit their poem(s) via the St Mary’s email address stmaryscardenplace@gmail.com.
  2. The subject of your poems is entirely up to you and need not be necessarily church related.
  3. The poem should be all your own work.
  4. As a guide your poem maybe two verses and between 4 to 6 lines per verse. Deviation from the suggested format is permissible.
  5. There is no limit to the number of poems that can be submitted by each entrant, but the Vestry of St Mary’s has the right to decide which poems are published.
  6. Poems will be published on the St Mary’s website with a number and title.  Each entrant will be deemed to grant St Mary’s Vestry a royalty free non-exclusive licence to publish the material.
  7. The entry fee for each poem submitted is £2 and you can enter as many poems as you like.  Payments can be made direct to St Mary’s bank account, or by cheque made payable to St Mary’s Episcopal Church, Carden Place, Aberdeen or via the PayPal donation facility on our website.
  8. The closing date is set as 17th October (Harvest Sunday).
  9. The best three poems will be selected by the Vestry of St Mary’s.

Competition entries

1. The Busy Wind

Oh busy Wind do tell me why
When you come blowing from the sky
You whip around between buildings high
As in Marischal Square
 
Where seating should be a welcome rest
For people to sit where sun shines best
Instead you rush around and by your zest
You are chasing incomers away
 
Says Busy Wind that in my mind
I search for places where I find
Especially to me are very kind 
That by their lift I’m stronger
 
The high lift of the 'New Built Square'
So wonderful, is exactly where
Happily swishing I want to share
The joy that is given to me
 
Wind stay up not down be on your way
Give grace to people who want to stay
Enjoying sun and rest while they may 
Letting people linger longer.

2. Tomorrow

“I’m too busy” said he, as he put down the phone,
“I’m too tired” said he as he turned off the light
Maybe tomorrow I won’t need to moan,
Maybe tomorrow I’ll feel just right
 
No time to delay, no time to look back
No time to slow down, no time to be here
Maybe tomorrow I’ll start to unpack,
Maybe tomorrow I’ll just disappear.

3. Congregation Revelation

St Andrew’s Cathedral was closed for renovation,
What was happening to its Congregation?
Then suddenly they heard of Zoom,
Would this lead to doom and gloom?
On the contrary with hearts uplifted,
View from the Upper Room was gifted.
 
The Priest appeared in Robes arrayed
At the altar, Service, Eucharist was displayed.
This choice for many a revelation,
Rejoining some of the congregation,
Thankfully plus Pro-Cathedral St Mary’s Church,
The Congregation were not left in the lurch.

4. It is our Turn

What can all persons do the cry went out,
With the pandemic we can’t get about.
Self-isolate is now the “new”,
Freely about a privilege of a few,
Including wild animals on the road,
Are creeping out from their abode.
 
Blatantly walking, clearly are seen,
Makes us wonder where they’ve been.
Where once they watched us fill the streets,
Now animals do strut as freedom greets,
While we converse at home on Zoom,
When shall we like them be free to roam.

5. Rush not thro life

Rush not thro life but pause and let you senses vibrate to the glory around you. 
The swoop of the swift, the larks evening song, the long haunting call of the whale in the deep and the soft wet nose of the dog at your feet.
Look to the heavens and see light travelled aeons to brighten your face; wonder the force that fix stars in their place.

Why rush to feed the greed that is ruining our space; the almighty gift to the human race. Are we so blind that we cannot foresee the end of the gross pleasures we seek? Fights for resources, death to the weak. Armageddon oe’r a land that is bleak. God may not have meaning for you but Christ has a message that's only too true, love one another and succour the meek.

6. I’ll be there

I’ll come to Church this Sunday; can you put me on the list?
I’m not what you call ‘a regular’ so I’m sure I haven’t been missed.
I hope there’s tea and coffee, I hope there’s toilets too,
I hope it’s warm and comfy, and not much for me to do.
 
I went to Church on Sunday; I went because I needed to,
People smiled and said hello to me, I looked around to see ‘who’s who’,
I prayed, I listened, and I raised my voice in song,
I’ll go to Church next Sunday, because that’s where I belong.

7. Friends

Friends have always been important to me 
And always will be
Sadly many of them I no longer see 
But I know if I needed help 
They would pray for me
As they are my friends and always will be

8. Old Age

They say that old age doesn't come on its own
I know this to be true but I mustn't moan
I am lucky and still have my husband with me
So I don't have to suffer it on my own

9. What I’d really like

I’d really like to write a book and tell everyone my story.
 I’d really like to be the one to witness Scottish world cup glory.
 I’d really like to shake the hand that shook the hand of someone great.
 I’d really like to be the guy that absolutely, nobody could hate.
 
 But I know I’ll write that book, but probably in years to come,
 And I’m ever hopeful of the trophies to be won,
 And I’ve already shook the hand of someone special.
 And I know that God loves me...that’s enough.

10. The miracle of a child

Folk cry for a miracle their faith to support 
Yet daily around them a child is spawned.
Sperm comes together in a passionate moment.
A life starts apace. Cells divide and rush to their place.
First a skull and then a face, soon a brain, a marvellous member that
gives life to reason, as body follows in its due season 
With a strain and a cry a child is gestated, a person of merit has been created, with sense to suckle until satiated. 
They say it is science that makes this all possible, yet cannot account for its ability to think. God you must weep at our lack vision, of the Almighty's daily intervention. Oh love divine when will we see, you don't need us but we need thee.

11. Wheat ears

In a place with no fears,
At a different harvest years,
With all our peers,
So let us all cheer,
In this big harvest year!

12.

Light beckons,
Overcoming all
Varsity stretches
Everywhere I look.

All can be fair,
Love is all around;
Love be in us all.

13.

Peace be with you.
Race to overcome prejudice:
Argument, acceptance, to reach understanding.
Your path intersects with all.

Petrified corruption,
Endeavour to escape the cycle.
Anguished and atrophied,
Control the fear,
Ebb the tide; be one with the beauty.

14.

Standing for what you believe
Tempted to obstinacy 
Answer with care when asked
Now listen and accept 
Do not fail to develop
Ignorance will stagnate.
Now accepting of the beautiful complexities
Given and accepted; at one.

15. The Flight of the Brown Owl

Into the shafts of the mellow moon light,
Intent on sourcing a juicy fat bite
Moving his head with the help of his sharp eyes and ears
The Brown Owl makes a silent plunge with out any fears
He pounces unsuspectingly on a tasty field mouse

The Brown Owl flies on to his secret hiding place
Settling to eat his meal with gusto and leaving no trace
In the silence of the night he swiftly takes flight,
Seeking another sumptuous snack to devour with delight 
Into the shafts of the mellow moon light 

16. A Fun Poem: Winnie The Wicked Witch

On her electric broomstick Winnie the  Wicked Witch flew between the Don and the Dee
Then headed speedily over the cold wild North Sea
The wind howled, the clouds rumbled causing the broomstick to violently sway
Plunging Winnie’s black cat into the sea at Nigg bay
Never to be seen again.

Winnie the Wicked Witch laughed so loudly and cackled with  glee
Causing her false teeth to shoot out  into the North sea
Gripping her broomstick she sent out a potent spell
Hoping to retrieve her teeth from the North Sea swell
But her teeth had vanished into the gloom of the night
Never to be seen again

17. Gone are the days

Gone are the days,
When we all used our feet,
When our friends ,  we had to  meet.
Now we  linger, on the brink,
For the time to click that link.

Gone are the days,
When we said " How are you?"
Now those days are so far and few.
A greeting  today is   " Are we all here ? "
"I think we've lost a few,  I fear ? "

Gone are the days,
When we dressed up all smart,
And our make up was really quite an art,
Now pajama bottoms are worn to the meet,
And no one cares what you've got on your feet .

Gone are the days 
Having coffee with your work mates
You sit by you screen and eat many cakes.
This new way of working is how it shall be,
We all have to learn just to love  I. T.

18. Snow drops

The first to wake after the sleeping winter,
A sign of warmer days to come,
Like a lamp shade , shining a ray of light, 
A sign of hope and purity,  so white.

This year , due to covid we search for beauty,
To lift up our crumbling spirits,
If something so small as this can survive  
Then maybe we too can blossom and thrive.

Everyone says, "the snowdrops are out !"
You can hear the smile in their voice,
All through the woods and in the hedgerows,
And at the bottom of your garden it grows.

So delicate  yet in February it appears,
The humble snowdrop, with head bowed,
It doesn't have a clue of it's own power 
But we know, it's oh such a brave little flower.

19. Tae a Haggis

It's Rabbie's big day, so we aa eat haggis,
Aboot the only time we do!
Ony ither days we eat the delight, 
Are really far an few. 

Wee tatties and neeps it's enjoyed,
It fairly fills us up,
An wee it, te wash it soon,
A fusky ye hiv tae supp.

Bit dinna think oor closely, 
Aboot fit's gaan in tae yer meal,
Liver, hart and lungs o a yowe,
Noo foo dis at mack ye feel?

It's stappet in a yowe's belly, 
An bilet till it disna look pasty,
Scine eence a year we aa tuck in,
Tae a haggis, fine an tasty.

20. The cat

The cat as a kitten is a cute ball of fluff,
Grows quickly, and is sleek  and is clever,
She'll soon be bringing you presents of mice,
Which means she'll love you for ever.

When loved by a cat you feel a bit special,
But she's not all soft, don't assume,
Though cuddly and  soft at the best of times,
She's  the lion in your own living room.

St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral, Carden Place, Aberdeen AB10 1UN
Rector: Rev Canon Terry Taggart   |   Email: office@stmaryscardenplace.org.uk   |   Tel: 01224 561383

St Mary's Episcopal Church is a registered Charity in Scotland: Charity No SC014062   |   Copyright © 2022

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