(An inspirational frolic for the Easter holiday)

To God the stars may be only small and dear like diamonds

(G.K. Chesterton)

 

What`s the fuss for? Don`t they know

That Christ – a million years ago –

Hung Venus in the sky one night

Entirely for my delight?

And seeing, with his always-now-eyes

Just how much it pleased me so

Laughed, and cried `surprise! Surprise!

Then springing space-ward with a shout

(Baying the moon as he went out)

Boomed `Look!` and clear across the sky

Flamencoe`d with his head held high.

Scintillant from his heel-scorch spurning

Glory showers of glittering stars.

He clapped, and Jupiter jumped out burning

Grimaced - sternly muttered Mars -

Whooped Pluto from his laughing lips,

Spun Saturn from his finger-tips,

Crowed Uranus and full of play

Under a rift of dark he lay

And carolled forth the Milky Way.

 

He rose then and imperiously

Pointed the Pole-Star to it`s place.

Assumed a sudden-solemn face

And (clearing Libra from his throat)

Sang the Pole-Star`s company,

Each an individual note

Turned elegant Ice-gem cold and clear

To light the Northern Hemisphere.

 

Then gathering all the star`s around

In the centre of the sky

He said some secret thing. The sound

Of what he said just passed me by.

The sight of what he did, likewise,

Was – just a little – beyond my eyes.

But though denied

The full sight and the clear word

I half-saw and I half-heard

Muff eared and mist-eyed.

 

All around

Was a sound

Of camp-fire chanting –

Full of longing –

Strange incanting.

Star-crowds thronging

Forth and back in surge and lapse.

Deep quiets, thunder-claps!

Long draws

Of catch-breath wonder

Spilled in cataracts of applause.

Shafts of light

Punched–probed the darkness–sundered,

And swiftly swept wide arcs of night.

Then, as the tumult neared a height

Of wild crescendo, all the rush

Was reined in awesome expectation,

And in that audiental hush

Christ, with words of consecration,

Swiftly a silver chalice raised

Triumph-high in elevation

And fitly his Holy Father praised

With wonder–words that soared and strayed

And gloriously ricocheted

Round the whorl of all creation.

And all creation with a loud shout

Answered as Christ in jubilation

Emptied all the chalice out.

A spilth, that down the Southern night

Glittered, and made the darkness light

With whirling galaxies, diamond-dust nebulae,

And constellar cluster worlds treasure-bright.

 

He then spoke low and the glistening dark

Up-rose, a velvet Negro-maid,

Who, in night`s jewellery arrayed,

Danced like David before the Ark.

And a tinkle-tune her jewels played

While the light they shed as they counter-swayed

Against her moving shook like sheer

Light from a crystal chandelier.

And Christ, playing the fond Emir,

(Turban a-tilt) with quickening claps

Urged her faster as round she whirled

Until she was a core of dark

Within a silver cyclone furled.

Then his eyes grew mischief – his purpose, lark.

She sensed, and shrieked out mock-alarms,

But still he tripped her, and she collapsed

Laughing into his saving arms.

And for an instant they stood chortling there,

Star-heaped maid and Christ Emir,

Till, gathering his dignity

He gave her a paternal pat

And winked her a grave adieu, and she,

Grinning like the Cheshire Cat,

Faded to anonymity.

 

Then he turned around and looked at me (His eyes

Were other worlds of stars) Stepped down from the outer skies,

And with compassion soothed immense

Oblivion over all my sense –

Granted as I slumbered bright,

Broad recognition to my sight,

Accomplished what he`d begun,

And woke me…with the morning sun.