Spontaneous Reflection
Spontaneous Reflection
in this gently darkened room
In the Second Watch of Night
There is great beauty in this house.
There is joy in this house.
There is peace and joy
within the very brickwork of this abode.
The pointing is of familial love,
within which this whole house is enrapt.
Lively conversations
are heard, recalled
in every room above below.
In agreement,
The Roof and Timbers above me
expand, contract, and click
their pleasure.
The wind of peace flows gently
through the doors
up the stairs
Pausing on the turn
pointing to familiar faces
long gone
but for the wind of peace
very real, immediate
everlasting.
Onto the landing,
Survey the Lounge
Blinds down
Except for one
… ah look!
He leaves us light
from the East
See, it hints already
Passing on across the other landing
This little landing,
This tiny ship,
Into the dining room
Oh Look! Here we all are!
My goodness. I have not seen thee
in a thousand years.
Yes, that is right.
In Boddington before the Church was built
the very Church recorded in Domesday.
Oh, hello there!
You look so well.
How wonderful that we all meet here …
No, don’t disturb him
He’s sleeping peacefully
just in there
But I think it is not yet time
for him to meet us all
Look at us
Norwegian
Scots
Germanic
then English
Oh look.
There’s my name in the
Wimbush Bible.
Mine too. I wrote it Thomas!
Oh look! He’s made a note too.
Two weeks between our marriages.
You, Sister, on August 24th 1885,
And me to my darling Amy
On September 8th 1885.
Methinks Mother and Father
were taken aback.
Aye. Children,
Not so much taken aback with thee,
Just thankful that ye
finally did!
And look Lizzie!
There’s your spectacles!
So they be!
My Great Gandson has done me proud.
Two generations on,
Two stand smiling, chatting
RAF Blue …
Yep, you in 43, me in 45
I like these planes.
He’s got our serial numbers correct.
Gracious! That’s my RAF kitbag!
Remember the day he did his solos?
I do indeed.
Good job we were in the cockpit
when he turned out of wind
over RAF South Cerney.
But he got his wings all the same.
Little did he know.
I’m not so sure.
When I came to help sis,
Sis said, Harry’s here again, Ken
and he replied
Oh yes Mum? Where.
On the bed. He’s there now.
And you know what Ken?
He looked straight at me, smiled,
and said, hello Uncle!
and waved.
In Aeons I’ve seen some things,
You have too,
All of us have.
But I admit that that was quite
a special moment.
The Spirit moved
warmly around the room …
Come on everyone.
There is great peace here.
He will join us soon.
We will rejoice that
this house has our Approval.
Our Peace will never leave
its bricks, mortar, timbers, fabric and rafters
It will always be, as he says,
A welcome port of call to all
where the kettle’s always boiling.
28 February 2023
All Rights Reserved
© 2023 Spontaneous Reflection Kenneth Thomas Webb 2023
South Banbury Parish Church
Oh look.
There’s my name in the
Wimbush Bible.
Mine too. I wrote it Thomas!
Oh look! He’s made a note too.
Two weeks between our marriages.
You, Sister, on August 24th 1885,
And me to my darling Amy
On September 8th 1885.
And look Lizzie!
There’s your spectacles!
So they be!
My Great Gandson has done me proud.
Gracious!
That’s my RAF kitbag!
Ken Webb is a writer and proofreader. His website, kennwebb.com, showcases his work as a writer, blogger and podcaster, resting on his successive careers as a police officer, progressing to a junior lawyer in succession and trusts as a Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives, a retired officer with the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, and latterly, for three years, the owner and editor of two lifestyle magazines in Liverpool.
He also just handed over a successful two year chairmanship in Gloucestershire with Cheltenham Regency Probus.
Pandemic aside, he spends his time equally between his city, Liverpool, and the county of his birth, Gloucestershire.
In this fast-paced present age, proof-reading is essential. And this skill also occasionally leads to copy-editing writers’ manuscripts for submission to publishers and also student and post graduate dissertations.
