Matthew Pullar

Messiah

I was not ready: You came when I was sleeping, At my least expected midnight. Reality shook – this veil we call “The way things are”; angels sang And shepherds danced, but I – Exhausted by normality – Dozed while, in a baby’s cry, Four hundred years of silence found Their end-point in this night.

Jacaranda

Uncommonly strong, it stays purple, while elsewhere the street is lined with debris from seasons which the trees soon forgot. Confused fig-leaves turn golden, drop to the ground as rain gushes gutters and sunscreen, umbrellas, opposites, swap in uncertain hands – yet lilac and stoic at the end of my street Jacaranda declares it isContinue reading “Jacaranda”

Uncertainty (After Luci Shaw’s “The Annunciatory Angel”)

As we begin the season of Advent, I thought it would be fitting to begin with some Advent-themed poems. The first is based on Luci Shaw’s “The Annunciatory Angel”, which itself is a response to Fra Angelico’s painting “The Annunciation”. Though inspired by Shaw’s poem, I have gone back to the original painting and writtenContinue reading “Uncertainty (After Luci Shaw’s “The Annunciatory Angel”)”

With reverent fear

In this you greatly rejoice, though for now Your life flits by, empty at times, sometimes glad. And in these days, though you furrow your brow, The breeze on your face can still lift up the sad, And music is sweet, and the grace that is seen Falls likewise on righteous, unrighteous, Both blesses theContinue reading “With reverent fear”

1 Nomination and 2 Nominees

Well, this has been a big year for me in my writing. One of the biggest blessings of the year has been seeing my readership grow and discovering some wonderful, like-minded bloggers who have helped make this feel more like a community project than just one guy tapping away at his computer. To everyone whoContinue reading “1 Nomination and 2 Nominees”

12 Poets: Goodbye and Hello

Well, on this final day of November it’s time to say goodbye to Denise Levertov, the lovely Anglo-American poet that we have been exploring this month. In lieu of an essay on her work, here is a link to the last interview she gave which I think gives a better insight into her work thanContinue reading “12 Poets: Goodbye and Hello”

Pass By In Safety

The earth is full of snares and lies, My child, my child, my fragile child, With many dreams that take your eyes – My child, my child, be true. The path is wide, the road feels smooth, My child, my child, my trusting child, Yet easy roads evade the truth – My child, my child,Continue reading “Pass By In Safety”

Guilt (After Denise Levertov’s “Adam’s Complaint”)

With November nearly over, it’s time for my final tribute to the poetry of Denise Levertov. This one is inspired by her simple but stark masterpiece, “Adam’s Complaint“, one of Levertov’s many creative entries into the inner workings of Biblical narratives. My poem looks at the same story from a slightly different angle. Guilt (AfterContinue reading “Guilt (After Denise Levertov’s “Adam’s Complaint”)”

Even So, Even So (After Denise Levertov’s “Suspended”)

When I first read Denise Levertov’s “Suspended”, it amazed me with the perfect way it blended the starkness of life with the delicate beauty of grace. You can read her poem here, in a wonderful post from CPX of their favourite religious poems, and here is my own response to Levertov. Even So, Even SoContinue reading “Even So, Even So (After Denise Levertov’s “Suspended”)”

The Case Against the Gods: C.S. Lewis’ Grief and Complaint

Well, today is the 50th anniversary of the death of C.S. Lewis, one of my favourite authors. To commemorate the man and his body of work, here is an essay I have written about him – part of a larger book I am writing on the role of emotional suffering in the lives of significantContinue reading “The Case Against the Gods: C.S. Lewis’ Grief and Complaint”