Transcendence

What lies behind this sunlit world? Something too deep for thought, Open only to prayer. These poems reflect moments when one experiences something more than what one sees and hears, feelings of the sublime, the holy, the transcendent. When meditating by a Wiltshire stream, or walking alone through an African forest, observed by a thousand unseen eyes and ears, from giant cats to tremulous snakes. Feelings of going beyond oneself, beyond anxiety and feelings of inadequacy, losing oneself in the great chain of being. The healing experience of being part of nature, losing the fear of death. From intimations of transcendence in nature, this book moves on to the magic of ancient churches where so many have offered up their sorrows and joys and then to meditations and prayers, as well as the consolations offered by ancient rituals, by the rhythm of the church s seasons, from the magic of Christmas through the penitence of Lent to the glories of Easter. The final section explores the tragic lockdowns caused by Covid-19.