24 March 2026
My Robin started playing games with me
He fluttered down to say hello
Beside that Tree
But most of all, because the Time was right
He found me walking, and almost as bright.
His colours came before me without sound
But this time, right time, playfulness we found:
He dipped and dived, he showed me how to play,
He skidded in the bucket, so to say.
I stood entranced to watch and then admire
His confidence and joy, his full of fire
We did not need to find the words to say
How lovely is this Day – and so we pray
That sweetness of the green green grass of home
Which winds and wheels among the ancient stone
May face the coming Spring and months ahead
Immaculate and fresh and never dead
For this our Garden, meant for rest and peace
Now stands at risk of petrol, oil and grease
The hiss of danger, the neglect of rage,
The damages of snake and piss and wage
The stink of poison, the sharp buzz of drone,
The crush of bodies and the splints of home —
All these and more deprive us of our love
For hearth and steadiness, our ancient Dove
Who struts and coos, always to reassure
That over and above, we shall endure.
For my beloved St Mary Magdalene’s Woodstock garden
A Shutterstock image created by Nick van der Berg
of England’s magnificent Robin, boasting the
brightness of his colours as only he knows how.
Not only a bird, but a symbol of joy and hope.