…for those who loved and laboured…
Continuing in my series of sonnets for the Church Year I have written this one for Mothering Sunday. It’s a thanksgiving for all parents, especialy for those who bore the fruitful pain of labour, and more particularly in this poem I have singled out for praise those heroic single parents who, for whatever reason, have found themselves bearing alone the burdens, and sharing with no-one the joys of their parenthood.
This poem is from my book Sounding the Seasons published by Canterbury Press and it is available on Amazon Here
I am grateful to Oliver Neale for his thought-provoking work as a photographer, and, as always, you can hear the poem by clicking on the ‘play’ button, or on the title
At last, in spite of all, a recognition,
For those who loved and laboured for so long,
Who brought us, through that labour, to fruition
To flourish in the place where we belong.
A thanks to those who stayed and did the raising,
Who buckled down and did the work of two,
Whom governments have mocked instead of praising,
Who hid their heart-break and still struggled through,
The single mothers forced onto the edge
Whose work the world has overlooked, neglected,
Invisible to wealth and privilege,
But in whose lives the kingdom is reflected.
Now into Christ our mother church we bring them,
Who shares with them the birth-pangs of His Kingdom.
Malcolm Guite 
I am one of those mothers. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Thanks Kristyn
On March 13, 1996 I was prepared to lead worship at All Saints Church in Croughton, England. I was stationed at RAF Croughton as a Chaplain. They were without a vicar. Sadly, before our Mothering Sunday worship I led a prayer service in the wake of the Dunblane mass shooting. My heart was forever touched by that service and the dear people of the Village who gathered…
Gosh. That must have been a harrowing experience
It was a life changing experience for a very young Air Force Chaplain in his second posting… as we continue to suffer from the disease in this country called Guns are more important than Lives, my thoughts often go back to Dunblane… visited that spot before we left England in 1997… so much tragic and senseless loss of life…
In my new anthology ‘Love, Remember’ there is a very fine poem by Kelly Belmonte about being in Dunblane at the time of the atrocity- worth reading
Thank you, my friend, I will look that up.
This would happen in America, not here… powerful poem and reflection!
Pingback: Mothering Sunday: a sonnet | Pastor Michael Moore's Blog
Blessings to all the beautiful mom’s!