PREAMBLE: - I wrote this piece one dark wet evening whilst sat in my old study in Bolney, West Sussex. The Snowdrop was the only flower with the courage, desire and solitary fortitude the break the ground and spread it’s droopy petals. The snowdrop is the John the Baptist of the floral kingdom, a tiny but all powerful herald of the coming spring, fir its white head bowed in prayer amidst the muddy mess, calls forth life from the dead. I love snowdrops.
PERFORMANCE TIPS: The lines of each opening stanza and the words ‘neath’ and ‘droop’ need special emphasis as shadow words. There is pathos in them but surprise quickly follows them, for lines in each stanza following these shadow words are full of smiling hope. It’s as though each new line begins with sadness and every line following is then spoken with a breaking and expectant smile. Try performing it in this way and if you do it right, people will be moved, if you miss the mark however, they will think you are mentally ill! OK Here we go then:
The White Baptizer
----------O----------
Beneath the snowdrop’s droop
Lay loves and past regrets
Neath sodden soil and dripping leaves
Lay my riches and my debts
Neath the snowdrop’s droop
Fed by silver springs
Rise hopeful shoots of green
Caressed by angel’s wings
Neath the snowdrop’s droop
Hide my children dressed in white
Untainted by my days of fear
Kept from the bitter squeals of night
Neath the snowdrop’s droop
Beside the golden chalice
Lies broken bread, a dripping sponge
Dipped in myrrh and malice
Neath the snowdrop’s droop
Awakes the coming spring
A herald of all glory
That will deck the coming King
Neath the snowdrop’s droop
Lay caterpillar’s clothes
The remnants of the remnant
That with our Lord arose!
Neath the snowdrop’s droop
This feint and paled inflection
Lies the hope of future summers
[i]The seeds of resurrection
© 2012 Victor Robert Farrell
[i] 1 Cor 15:51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed
Anyhoo - Do hope you enjoyed the poem!
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