37th Anniversary of Ordination

37th Anniversary of Ordination
(14 June 1981- 14 June 2018)
Michael A. Maginn,

Sleepily irritated
by the nurse’s cheery summons,

I celebrate with a call to the hospital
at 4.27am.

The morning is already fresh
with June light:

two magpies patrolling the lawn
in clerical livery.

BBC World Service
providing cold comfort:

sparse communion
with the growing dawn.

Deserted hospital road
and empty car-park,

metaphors
for the lost years.

Family members
gathered around the bed,

sleepless
and bleary-eyed.

Exchanging words
and shaking hands,

we greet
and pray.

And in that moment,
something makes sense,

as clear
as brightening day.

Somedays
looking back,

they seem
like wasted years:

but today
is not one of these.

.

Similar Posts

‘If we only have love…….’ 

Blog
3 Comments

Seamus Ahearne writes in this November of death; war, accident, murder; “the news is rotten with criminality; with stabbings; with shootings; with gangland outrages……….I think the culture of faith has to be rediscovered……However, every day is a privileged day. Every day is full of life, despite the dying. Every day is full of surprises. Every day throws around those ‘rumours of angels.’”

One Comment

  1. James Mc Hugh says:

    Ad Multos Annos, Michael A.

    and maybe, just maybe, fewer nurse’s summons at 04.27 !

    Reply

Join the Discussion

Keep the following in mind when writing a comment

  • Your comment must include your full name, and email. (email will not be published). You may be contacted by email, and it is possible you might be requested to supply your postal address to verify your identity.
  • Be respectful. Do not attack the writer. Take on the idea, not the messenger. Comments containing vulgarities, personalised insults, slanders or accusations shall be deleted.
  • Keep to the point. Deliberate digressions don't aid the discussion.
  • Including multiple links or coding in your comment will increase the chances of it being automati cally marked as spam.
  • Posts that are merely links to other sites or lengthy quotes may not be published.
  • Brevity. Like homilies keep you comments as short as possible; continued repetitions of a point over various threads will not be published.
  • The decision to publish or not publish a comment is made by the site editor. It will not be possible to reply individually to those whose comments are not published.