At the back of All Saints', Hawnby there's a collection of poetry books; also pens and paper, and a folder marked "Fresh Poems In Here", for visitors to
the church to contribute their own work. |
It's a poetic spot, with the River Rye always audible in the background, rushing by; and the little church encircled by trees, as romantic as a Caspar
David Friedrich painting. |
Fresh Poems In Here |
For the "Fresh Poems" folder, we welcome every sort of work, from the most sophisticated to the simplest. |
Nor does it have to be especially religious, in the conventional sense. Or, for that matter, orthodox. But whatever is heart-felt, and honest, we believe
counts to God's glory anyhow. |
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Jerusalem |
Consider the famous lines of William Blake: |
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And did those feet in ancient time |
Walk upon England's mountains green? |
And was the holy Lamb of God |
On England's pleasant pastures seen? |
And did the countenance divine |
Shine forth upon our clouded hills? |
And was Jerusalem builded here, |
Among those dark satanic mills? |
When Blake speaks about Jesus, as he does here, he means Jesus as a symbol of true free-spirited poetic imaginativeness, in general. And when he speaks of
Jerusalem, he means the work of such imaginativeness, transforming the world. In these lines, therefore, his real question is: whether we can actually find the poetic resources we need, for our
salvation, buried deep within the cultural tradition we've inherited? |
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