Tag: Mr G
Paint the Trees
God told the angels,
“Go, paint the trees in autumn hues,
dress the leaves
for a final dance upon the earth,
before winter’s trance
stills them into hibernation.
Yet, do not forget
how skeletal branches
hold the buds tender and warm
until verdant Spring
comes again.”
Mr G. November 5th 2025
Oblivion in Gaza
You hold your dead child,
remembering the tender holding of your new-born.
You cannot weep but only look down
blankly, unseeing.
Numbed pain does its work
like anaesthetic holding off the anguish
of a pain too hard to bear.
You become inhuman
not in the way of the agents of death,
who deny you both food and shelter,
warmth and love,
but more because in the face of despair and agony,
it is impossible to be that child of God
you were made to be.
But you are not alone.
We too are dehumanized
as we witness this callous denial and misuse of humanity
– a humanity we are supposed to share.
And when we do nothing?
What is our answer
to the heart of God who made and loves us?
What is our response,
as we look on the child, cradled in your arms?
[Mr G. 23rd July 2025]
WOUNDED
Sometimes we are broken
by circumstances or events,
like a tree branch
ripped untimely from its mother.
The nerve ends which drank greedily
of the sap of life, are still now.
Jagged edges that once pulsated
with vibrant greenery,
shading and embracing
those sheltering beneath,
are signs now of death and decay.
Life can feel like that sometimes.
Is this the end?
Slivers of experience, of joy,
of very being, shiver
and contribute to the dust of the earth,
unremembered, unneeded.
Is this what life becomes for all of us?
in the end?
Yet, gazing at the ruptured tree branch,
there is a certain beauty,
not simply a reflection of a life that was,
a contribution which a part of nature
makes to the whole of living,
but rather a symbol of our own part
in the cyclical journeys of the earth.
That which wounds us; breaks us,
is itself broken in turn.
We all belong to the same tree,
the same roots.
Knowing that is itself a kind of healing,
and a defence against all that would harm us.
[Mr G. 12 July 2025]
inspired by a fallen tree branch and a current sense of uncertainty.
These photos by my friend Lynn Hurry are of the Comma Butterfly.
It is so called because its orange-brown colouring is punctuated on the underwing with a distinctive white comma shape. It has ragged wing edges which, when it is at rest, resembles a dead leaf.
Unlike many butterfly species, which are becoming rarer, it is a success story of Nature, being more prolific and widespread. Some attribute this to global warming. It is commonly found in Britain, Europe, North Africa and Asia.
Spiritually, this butterfly has several meanings including renewal; rebirth; unconditional love; transformation and hope.
Personally, I see in its name ~ comma~ an invitation to pause briefly and for a moment enter into stillness.
A comma links two parts of a sentence and so we can allow a pause to be a link between one kind of activity and another.
The purpose of this brief moment can be to renew our connection with God and with Nature.
The Psalmist of Psalm 46 gives us a picture of a world in turmoil, whether it be of nations; planet earth, or more personal. Throughout this upheaval, God is our refuge and our strength. His voice melts the angry clamour of human voices; of our human spirit. God makes wars to cease, within our hearts leading hopefully to a renewed understanding of God’s presence in our hearts.
So, the Psalmist encourages to Be still and know that I am God.
We can see, therefore, that the grammatical pause in this butterfly’s very being has a purpose and a meaning which calls us to reflection, renewal and transformation. This comes if we pause with God.
Too often, in our daily life we are on the go in frenetic activity. So is the world. It is vitally important then to be still and to form a new connection with the World of Nature, represented by the Comma Butterfly, and appreciate the beauty of God’s world. Only then might we cherish all that God has made and find a new hope and a new beginning. Only so might we become deeper instruments of God’s healing love.
The Comma Butterfly is known as a pollinator, bringing the means of new life to the Natural World. That is a role we can learn from this butterfly in all our dealings with each other.
[Mr G. 9th July 2025]
Mr G's Ponderings 