Following that Star
One man takes a journey
On a plane, Christmas day
Bound for Detroit
Though looking back later
We will trace his path
From Nigeria to London
Picking up allegiance to Liverpool F.C
And three others like him
Young, return home to midwinter Wiltshire
In coffins, union flag draped
Slow processing through the silent crowd
Solemn in the grey rain
There are clues, Hansel’s breadcrumbs
On microchips and databases
Dropped across the globe
The journeys, life to death
Are traceable and plotted
Clear as day, black as night
As the pace -of -camel plod across the desert
The Christmas Magi made
Guided or misguided, following that star
How powerful the push and pull
The call to arms
Glad sacrifice of life and limb
And all love’s wondrous possibility
Reduced to but a single thought
Death carried in a cunning form
Cleverly on a plane
Oh we may track geography
With GPS and such
But how you get from God of love
(He’s clearly there in gospels and Koran)
To lust for mass destruction
Self seen in glorious vision
Bringing Armageddon home
Now that’s a harder route to plot
Not evidently straightforward
A to bloody B
So is the Devil in there
Tempting man to do his worst
Or is our planet godless
Guided/misguided/unguided
And this Christmas
What of love?
One man takes a journey
On a plane, Christmas day
Bound for Detroit
Though looking back later
We will trace his path
From Nigeria to London
Picking up allegiance to Liverpool F.C
And three others like him
Young, return home to midwinter Wiltshire
In coffins, union flag draped
Slow processing through the silent crowd
Solemn in the grey rain
There are clues, Hansel’s breadcrumbs
On microchips and databases
Dropped across the globe
The journeys, life to death
Are traceable and plotted
Clear as day, black as night
As the pace -of -camel plod across the desert
The Christmas Magi made
Guided or misguided, following that star
How powerful the push and pull
The call to arms
Glad sacrifice of life and limb
And all love’s wondrous possibility
Reduced to but a single thought
Death carried in a cunning form
Cleverly on a plane
Oh we may track geography
With GPS and such
But how you get from God of love
(He’s clearly there in gospels and Koran)
To lust for mass destruction
Self seen in glorious vision
Bringing Armageddon home
Now that’s a harder route to plot
Not evidently straightforward
A to bloody B
So is the Devil in there
Tempting man to do his worst
Or is our planet godless
Guided/misguided/unguided
And this Christmas
What of love?
29th December 2009, Brighton
God this is powerful Sally. I'm so glad you have the words!!!
ReplyDeletePam- with love
Thank you Pam and great to have you back following, my slim and beauteous friend! So so sad watching processions in Wooton Bassett and thinking of that Nigerian father, powerless in the face of his son's fanaticism. Wonder and wonder what on earth it is all about...
ReplyDeleteI can only echo Pam's words. It would be so good to see headlines to answer 'what of love'? I imagine there must be so many stories about remarkable people out there. My trip to A&E last night with a burnt finger (I'm fine!) triggered associations from my pain which in the grand scheme of things was very minor into the pain of others. I was thinking of the many who don't have instant treatment close by and the pain inflicted by others. I sat at home later thinking as 'why, why why'? I have no idea Sally what on earth it is about. I was listening to a remarkable radio 4 programme about Christmas in the trenches and both sides downing their weapons coming together to share celebrations and being human for a brief moment.
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