The Turning of the World: Advent through Plough Monday - poem

 

 

Lawrence Hall

Mhall46184@aol.com

https://hellopoetry.com/lawrence-hall/

poeticdrivel.blogspot.com

 

The Turning of the World: Advent through Plough Monday

 

God spede the plough

 

-an English blessing for a good agricultural year,

numerous sources

 

In springtime Nature kisses the world with light

And summer follows with work and merriment

In autumn she kisses the world good night

And winter follows with frost and lament

 

But first we celebrate the great world’s turning

With Advent and the holy Christmas time

With liturgies followed by the Yule log burning

Through feasting and cheer, and each well-sung rhyme

 

Six midwinter weeks ‘til the Three Kings appear

And then Plough Monday to begin the new year

Plough Monday - poem

Lawrence Hall
mhall46184@aol.com

Plough Monday

In my boyhood the fields were real indeed:
The winter soil to be awakened and turned
The manure, mulch, and mould lifted and turned
Wise husbandry’s anticipation of spring

My fields are all metaphorical now:
The winter files to be updated and turned
The documentation lifted and turned
Clerkly, accessibly, from A to Z

The files, the plough, to the long seasons fit
Papers or poop, it’s still long rows of (stuff)