For Daddy, on reaching 70

There’s something about an older church:
years drape its songs in garlanded delight;
the veneration of generations smoothed by the rears
of Sunday bests into the years of wooden pews;
walls warmed with murmurs of birth and faith and love alight
with candle-twinkles in the glass stained bright
from many histories and tragedies and comedies and breath-light melodies sung bold and out of tune.
Mature yews indulgent at the glint of moons
new born.
Yes, there’s something about a church in its older form.

With love
Madeline
29th June 2000