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    A Celebration of Life: Collected Poems
    A Celebration of Life: Collected Poems
    A Celebration of Life: Collected Poems
    Ebook140 pages36 minutes

    A Celebration of Life: Collected Poems

    By Meg Hartfield

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    About this ebook

    Meg Hartfield’s poems flow from her deep faith and a longing for a peaceful world.

    The poems in the first half of the book – Light of the World – are a retelling of the story of Jesus’ life. Starting with the Word and the nativity, then onwards to the Cross, Resurrection and Pentecost, the poems draw us into the mystery of God among us. Taken together they form a new gospel, a new sharing of the good news, for readers today.

    Meg takes us inside the heads and hearts of the Bible characters and we find that they were just like us: brave and afraid, striving to live well but often missing the point, capable of loving and of hating, of violence and of gentleness. She brings alive these dramatic stories that point us to the shining light of God’s love for us, made human in Jesus.

    Thirteen poems focus on Peace.

    “Ploughshares – implements for cutting furrows; Swords – implements for cutting people...” begins one poem. They explore the big picture of war and international conflict, and the small, everyday things we can do to create a peaceful community and world.

    This collection also includes a section of Tributes to family members and other people, poems about nature and it is rounded out by a set of happy haiku.

    Use these poems in reflective worship services, for group devotions and for personal inspiration.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPhilip Garside
    Release dateApr 16, 2017
    ISBN9781927260678
    A Celebration of Life: Collected Poems
    Author

    Meg Hartfield

    Born in Cardiff to missionary parents, Meg spent her early years in Kenya. She qualified as a nurse and midwife in London where she met her future husband Jonathan, a medical student. They spent 10 years in a turbulent Nigeria before settling with their 4 children, in Whanganui in 1973.After buying 4 hectares of bare sand hill, they have created a beautiful garden which they share with their donkeys.Meg has been a Sunday School teacher and lay preacher in the Church. She makes banners. Both have worked in Hospice for the last 20 years, and are active in music and peace making.They rejoice in their 9 grandchildren.

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      Book preview

      A Celebration of Life - Meg Hartfield

      A Celebration of Life

      Collected Poems

      Meg Hartfield

      Copyright © 2017 Meg Hartfield

      All rights reserved.

      This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

      ePub Edition

      ISBN 9781927260678

      Line drawings and calligraphy:

      Meg Hartfield

      Dedicated with my love to

      Jono

      Sheila, Michael,

      Nicola and Stella

      Philip Garside Publishing Ltd

      PO Box 17160

      Wellington 6147

      New Zealand

      books@pgpl.co.nz www.pgpl.co.nz

      Print, PDF and Kindle editions also available

      Front cover photograph: Pohutukawa in bloom

      by Alexander Garside—Garside Imaging

      Table of Contents

      Title and Copyright

      Light of the World

      In the Beginning was the Word

      Lord God, too Mighty to Grasp

      The Nativity Play

      How Can It Be?

      Light of the World

      The Outstretched Arms

      Wise Men

      Storm on the Lake

      Costly Love

      The Alabaster Jar

      Simon the Leper

      Hosanna

      The Last Supper

      Betrayal

      Peter – Put Up Your Sword

      Peter’s Denial

      Mockery

      Pilate

      Simon of Cyrene

      The Title – Jesus of Nazareth –The King of the Jews

      I Thirst

      The Feet of Jesus

      Wood

      The Tunic

      The Stronger Power

      The Cross Today

      The Grave Clothes

      Saturday

      The First Day of the Week

      Easter Evening

      Thomas

      Darkness and Light

      The Tree of Life

      Emmaus

      Pentecost

      Fire

      The Dream

      The Day of Rest

      My Lord of the Every-Day

      Openings

      Glory to God

      Tributes

      Rosamond

      Our Daughter – On Your Wedding Day

      For Anne

      Joanna

      For Graham

      First Grandchild

      For Elizabeth

      The White Chair

      Peace

      The Green of New Life

      Swords Into Ploughshares

      War and Peace

      Stop the Clock

      Tim’s Castle

      The Blood-Soaked Ground

      A Culture of Peace

      Peace Haiku

      The Way of Love

      Hiroshima Day 2006

      Peace

      Candles of Light

      Lamb of God

      Nature

      Greenness

      The Plum Tree

      Variety

      New Life

      Bees

      Solitude

      Seed Wonder

      Sea Song

      Blue

      Autumn Leaves

      Sparrows on Takapuna Beach

      Reflections – Through a Chapel Window

      Seaside Reflections

      Pohutukawa

      The Norfolk Pine

      Seed Thoughts

      Shells in Fiji

      Fish

      Forgive

      Whales

      Trees

      Haiku

      In Fiji

      Our Garden

      Loved Places

      Colours

      About the Author and the book

      Light of the World

      In the Beginning was the Word

      Creative

      powerful

      and ever since –

      the world’s languages, spoken, written

      whispered words of love, healing

      scorching words of anger, destroying.

      Since time began

      all words ever spoken

      still somewhere, never to be recalled

      all words ever written

      somewhere – mouldered – or written still

      words without number

      as the stars, or grains of sand.

      Daily, hourly, torrents of words

      necessary, unnecessary

      beautiful, filthy

      gentle, bullying.

      Lord, today

      let my words be truthful

      peaceful

      encouraging

      full of love for you

      the Word, made flesh.

      Lord God, too Mighty to Grasp

      Lord God, creator of all –

      immensity of space

      stars, galaxies beyond number

      my mind reels, grapples, fails

      all too mighty

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