In the churchyard,  roving rooks return
summoned by a tail-spin end to this wintry season
noisily they stir age-old roosts, filch
from neighbours and two-by-two stand watch
over their untidy stacks

In the rook-roofed sycamore, a lattice work of leaf buds
rattles with raucous corvid calls
my spirits lift; a wind from the North-West scuds
body and soul through the old church doors
to seek communion 

40 thoughts on “Communion”

1. I do love the way you have managed to get the caws of the rooks into your poem. There is something somber yet elegant with a spring sign like those birds.

   1. glad you can hear them too – they are harbingers of Spring as already will have laid eggs

2. Such a gorgeous illustration, Laura – thank you for introducing me to Jackie Morris. I walk through the churchyard in a local market town twice a week, from the infant school to a little café for lunch, but sadly there are no rooks. I like the way your rooks stir age-old roosts noisily, ‘filch from neighbours and two-by-two stand watch over their untidy stacks’- beautifully observed. You’ve also captured their voices in ‘rattles with raucous corvid calls’.

   1. thank you for appreciating my observations Kim – I do study them especially after reading Cocker’s ‘Crow Country’
      P.S.the Morris/MacFarlane book is brilliant for children – when Lucas is older!

      1. I’ll make a note of it! Thanks!

3. I love the rooks in the sycamore tree before communion. Perhaps they came for the service?

   1. they have their own communion in the rookery that is visited each year 🙂

4. You might consider your words a simple poem Laura – but I consider them beautiful in their brevity, a picture well-painted, no more words needed.
   “In the rook-roofed sycamore” – lovely description.
   Anna :o]

   1. what a lovely comment Anna especially as I was so unsure of this small piece – many thanks

5. Nice use of alliteration and acute observation. Spring is here, blustery and wild, and noisy too.

   1. nice description of Spring to match the rooks

6. Beautifully atmospheric.

   1. glad you felt it – thank you

7. A little more than a simple piece! Love the Rook-roofed sycamore, I can see it.

   1. a touch of Dylan Thomas perhaps 😉 ❤

8. Clever, vivid, great sense of place, rife with delicious alliteration; this piece is a pleaser; had to look up “corvid”, thanks.

   1. I cannot help but digest alliteration – I too think such sounds are delicious and many thanks for your comment

9. Nice description of those rooks filching from their neighbors.

   1. and they do hence half the reason for cacophony in the rookery!

10. My favorite lines:

    “In the rook-roofed sycamore, a lattice work of leaf buds
    rattles with raucous corvid calls”

    Beautiful description of fine poetic write. 🙂

    1. thank you Charlie – a fine compliment indeed

       1. You are welcome my friend. 🙂

          I really did enjoy reading your incredible work.

          Hope you got a glimpse to read mine. 🙂

          1. I will Charlie – am Spring cleaning the shed but will find time later

             1. 🙂

11. Wonderful language. These are my favorite lines,
    “In the rook-roofed sycamore, a lattice work of leaf buds
    rattles with raucous corvid calls”

    1. thank you Ali – poetry is all about language and I should never forget that x

12. How often they catch my eye and spirit too – beautifully captured here, Laura… Lovely writing…

    1. Another corvid admirer 🙂 And thank you for the appreciation of the words too

13. This is absolutely stunning, Laura! 💝 I especially love; “a lattice work of leaf buds rattles with raucous corvid calls.” 🙂

    1. thansk Sanaa – tried to conjure the barely budding twigs in the rookery

       1. They are certainly budding beautifully here 🙂

14. What a stunning imagery and sounds, specially with these lines:

    wind from the North-West scuds
    body and soul through the old church doors
    to seek communion

    1. have never used ‘scuds’ in conjunction with a body but it fits as it has been very blustery here!

       thank you for hosting OLN Grace

15. This is anything but simple or little…I love how the words flow and invite you to continue the journey.

    1. thank you for your feedback – especially how you see it as a lead into something else

16. Love the language and alliteration in this, the poem has a leafiness (if there is such a word) to it and a timeless Englishness!
    (looks like I failed spell check twice!) JIM

    1. love this comment ❤ could not wish for a better impression – many thanks

17. I won’t be long until those buds are beautiful green leaves and the crows will be up on the limbs talking about you going in and out of the church.

    1. the rooks are already in communion – eggs laid before the leaves

       1. Wow! they are rushing spring!!

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