A gift! A child upon the hayWrapped in swaddling on that day.Hidden glory, unrevealedUnwrapped upon the wood. Christmas 2023
A Gift
Healing the Land
I was not there when you first stepped gently upon this land.When your dreaming began and when, eons ago, your spirit connected with the earth in ways I can barely understand. I was not there when the first ships came,and where they laid claim,to what was and always will be yours.They did not understand. Nor … Continue reading Healing the Land
Afraid
I sense you calling.Deeper and deeper.Bringing light into dark places.Soothing, healing, freeing. I sense you callingas you did to Adam.and I am afraid.for I too am naked. Be gentle O lover of my soul!for there are places that still hurtplaces where I would rather you not goand still I sense you calling. as surely as … Continue reading Afraid
On dog days and feeling down
A dog came woofing at my door,a mutt I'd never seen before.He wagged his tail and gave a grin.and so, of course, I let him in! And there he made himself at homeas if he'd been here all along.a strange sensation - de ja vu!it seemed to me he belonged here too! And so we … Continue reading On dog days and feeling down
Her name
And there she was! In all her glory she stood. Bright raiment of soft whites and blues. I had seen her before, but only faintly. Like a zephyr on a pond - there and gone! Elusive. Now in my mind's eye she came into focus. Around her, stillness and peace. Not passive - rather as … Continue reading Her name
Storm raging
Seeking shelter from the stormfor calmer waters.drop the anchor, stow the sailsand wait; wait for light and the day. Holding there against the swellof wind and waves and rain,time and again for the rage to passto set the sails again. But anchors drag and fail sometimes,wetted steel, pulling against tide and timeto hold against a … Continue reading Storm raging
When a sparrow falls
Does anyone notice, does anyone care? Does a casket follow the Dies Irae? Is there a memento mori? Is something lost? When a sparrow falls. On the Feast of St Francis of Assisi 17 Sept 2020
New Australians – New Australia
King Solomon once said that there’s nothing new under the sun. His were not the eyes of a small child. Nor could he have foreseen the ‘Great Southern Land’; ancient but ever new. I was seven years old in the mid-1960s when our family prepared to up root; to leave ‘the Old Dart’ to set … Continue reading New Australians – New Australia
Julian
"All will be well" said she in triplet form. As stillness follows after storms. For darkened days she knew too well Yet still she sings in the dawn. Julian of Norwich was a 15th century English Mystic
Brown Eyes
Brown eyes that have known many summer's past.The parade of life through generations.Loved, all loved with a maternal heartfrom lullaby to grave. Brown eyes that cried a million tears;heart rent; injustice visited upon injustice.Still longing to see a new dawn of hope.restoration; peace; flourishing. Brown eyes steeped in the older waysof richness, culture, form and … Continue reading Brown Eyes
Paul Russell: Musings 