Poem #51 from “Poems and Sonnets for the End of Modernity”
Gather around the fire, beat the drum,
Tell ancient stories in the flickering.
Sing to the embers as the strings are strummed,
Before this heat, exhale your bickering.
In efficacious coming together
Dance! Raise the dust! Defy the weather!
But, let it be the rhythm of the cosmos
And the narrative of the fertile sparks,
The melodies in which all tongues can share,
The peace defying selfishness in loss
And mutual courage, as each embarks
To dance in the footsteps of boundless care.
Then calm this feasting in quiet divine,
Transcend your elements with bread and wine.
Peter Lilly is a British poet who grew up in Gloucester before spending eight years in London studying theology and working with the homeless. He now lives in the South of France with his wife and son, working in church planting and community building. His poetry has appeared in a number of journals including Macrina, Across the Margin, Fly on The Wall, and Heart of Flesh. Find more of his poetry at his blog: peterlillypoetry.blogspot.com or follow him on twitter: @peterlillypoems