Men called you light so as to load you down,
And burden you with their own weight of sin,
A woman forced to cover and contain
Those seven devils sent by Everyman.
But one man set you free and took your part
One man knew and loved you to the core
The broken alabaster of your heart
Revealed to Him alone a hidden door,
Into a garden where the fountain sealed,
Could flow at last for him in healing tears,
Till, in another garden, he revealed
The perfect Love that cast out all your fears,
And quickened you with love’s own sway and swing,
As light and lovely as the news you bring.
This is found in Guite’s Sounding the Seasons, a treasure of sonnets for the church year. My first church was St Mary Magdalene, Torquay, a church that has left a profound imprint on me, mostly for its shameless and joy-filled work with the poor.
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