Matthew Pullar

Temple Prayers (For George Herbert)

Today’s poem is for one of my most beloved poets: George Herbert, the seventeenth-century Anglican minister who also wrote poems of breathtaking honesty and beauty. Herbert wrote extensively in Latin, but his English poems were only published after his death when his friend Nicholas Ferrar ignored Herbert’s request to have them all destroyed. I couldn’tContinue reading “Temple Prayers (For George Herbert)”

The Lot (For St Matthias)

St Matthias, the thirteenth apostle, is remembered by the church on Feb 24th. I neglected to write his poem on the day, so here it is, better late than never. For those unfamiliar with his story, you can read about him in Acts 1:15-26, where the remaining eleven apostles (Judas having hanged himself) are givenContinue reading “The Lot (For St Matthias)”

Qui Habitat Part 2 (Second Sunday of Lent)

Today’s poem follows on from my poem of last Sunday, the second of five lenten poems paralleling the Psalms with Jesus’ movement towards the Cross. Today Jesus continues His ministry in the face of the Pharisees’ and Herod’s threats, but pauses for a moment to mourn over Jerusalem’s refusal to trust in Him. The twoContinue reading “Qui Habitat Part 2 (Second Sunday of Lent)”

The Crown (For Polycarp, Bishop and Martyr)

If we please Him in this present world, we shall receive also the future world, according as He has promised that He will raise us again from the dead, and that if we live worthily of Him, “we shall also reign together with Him”, provided only we believe. (Polycarp, Letter to the Philippians) His eighty-sixContinue reading “The Crown (For Polycarp, Bishop and Martyr)”

Silent Screams

This morning I heard the news from my parents that the son of old friends of theirs – a boy a few years older than me, who I had taken a class with at Uni and had known casually most of my life – died this week from throwing himself in front of a train.Continue reading “Silent Screams”

21 Consolations

Today is the first anniversary of The Consolations of Writing. To celebrate, and to thank all of you for supporting my blog over the past year, I’ve put together a collection entitled “21 Consolations” – an essay and 20 poems reflecting on and reflecting the comforts of the written word. I hope you like it.Continue reading “21 Consolations”

Rooted and Established (For William Grant Broughton)

Today’s poem is written in memory of the first and only archbishop of Australia, William Grant Broughton. His story is a dense and confusing one to read, full of internal debates over the division of church and state. It isn’t one which lends itself immediately or easily to poetry. However, I have chosen to focusContinue reading “Rooted and Established (For William Grant Broughton)”

Gratis

Caught out again, The senselessness surprising always: That way your arms have now of reaching And how your smile beckons; And me with my hands still dirty, Clothes dishevelled, face not there, Turning now aside from you Towards the corner, somehow proud. (It always seems the place for me And has my footprints there andContinue reading “Gratis”

Qui Habitat (First Sunday of Lent)

Continuing my Lent poems with the first Sunday of the season, I am beginning a series of poems based on parallels between Jesus’ ministry and the Psalms. Today’s poem takes its title and some of its ideas from Psalm 91, which is called “Qui Habitat” in Latin, from the opening line, “He who dwells inContinue reading “Qui Habitat (First Sunday of Lent)”

Hope in C Major

I had the idea for this poem playing over in my head this evening on the way home from the working week. If you’ve followed my poetry much over the past year or so you might have noticed that often what I write can be quite dark or melancholy. Today’s poem expresses perhaps my desireContinue reading “Hope in C Major”