Eye - 19 January 2024

From A poem for an autumn day to Well-loved phrases

A poem for an autumn day

Eye thanks Veronica Grant, of Llanidloes Meeting, for sending in some delightful sunshine to share with Friends. She writes: ‘In response to your invitation to lighten our darkness with a smile, I’m attaching a poem composed during Meeting for Worship on a windy day.’

Does it make you want to laugh,
The wind?
Naughtily opening doors and disturbing the stillness.
Does it make you want to throw your laughter to the air
with the leaves and the tossing crows?
Does it make you want to join
with others
And laugh and laugh
at the breathless beauty of the world?
It does me.

The quest

Beth Allen, from Bromley Meeting, bopped Eye a tongue-in-cheek fable.

‘A rich businessman had a new top of the range sports car; he housed it in his fully equipped garage but he also wanted it to have every possible spiritual protection.

‘So, he drove to the local church and asked: “I’ve just bought a Maserati – will you please give it a blessing?”

‘The vicar replied “What is a Maserati?” and he poured a cup full of water on its bonnet.

‘Next the businessman drove to the local synagogue and asked: “I’ve just bought a Maserati – will you please give it a blessing?”

‘The rabbi replied: “What is a Maserati?” and he sawed half an inch off the exhaust pipe.

‘Last of all the businessman drove to the local Quaker Meeting house with his request, and the warden replied “What is a blessing?”’