Willow-Herb Walk

Willow-Herb, pink and tall,

makes us stop awhile -

and smile,

in Adel’s gated churchyard -

where we share the peace

with those we meet

beneath the cloudless sky.

Here we exercise our feet

on six acres of hallowed grounds -

and keep social distance,

within in these ancient bounds

Just how grateful am I

for this churchyard

for good weather,

keyworkers and friends?

For we’re all in this together

And face to Covid threat -

not knowing how it ends, and yet

we sense the common purpose

of Yorkshire folk we greet.

We pray for good neighbours, at risk

Who ‘stay at home’ - alone.

We give thanks for green space

as we pace the old monk’s way:

the crossed, grey Yorks-stone path

where we find peace, in lockdown,

outside this Norman Church

that has seen pestilence and plagues

where we pass

the low-side Leper’s window -

a silent witness to former times

of strict restrictions of ‘the feww’

to protect the mass.

No bell rings today for evensong

but willow warblers,

small and brown,

keep on singing in high trees

that have been here for centuries;

a sanctuary for humankind,

for wildlife and wildflowers

Where in summertime

swathes of Rosebay Willow herbs;

tall and pink,

make us stop a while -

and think.