Carpet of Flowers – Every Corpus Christi, the Roman Catholic Cathedral at Arundel hold a Festival, the highlight of which is the world famous Carpet of Flowers.
It has been an annual event for 140 years. It began when the 15th Duke of Norfolk, Henry Fitzalan Howard. visited the village of Sutri just outside Rome. There he saw a carpet of flowers and this inspired him to introduce a similar festival in the church he had founded in Arundel – Our Lady and St Philip Neri. This was later to become the RC Cathedral.
Each year there is a focal message in flowers and greenery. This year, as you see, it is Pray for Peace.
Inspired by this, I wrote this little poem.

A Message from the Earth

You destroy the earth
with your lust for power, control;
the selfish bolstering of your ego.
Yet, you cry for peace.!

Your words and actions are empty.
So we must speak, for we are the world
which you tread on with your heavy boots
of rhetoric, falsehood, self-centredness
and greed.

Therefore,  we have chosen to send you a message
in flowers and branches,
in beauty and in love.
This is our voice to your heart,
the cry of the earth.
Become Peace!
Listen to us, please
and act.

[Mr G, 3rd June 2024]

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