Gloucester Cathedral stone reliefs‘Gloucester in July’ by Patricia Rogers Crozier The Society January 18, 2023 Beauty, Culture, Poetry 9 Comments . Gloucester in July A thousand silent saints and angels Hewn from vertex, plane, and angle Raised by blow of mason’s hammer Raised from stone to watch the faithful Underneath the sinners stammer Pray and weep, confess and clamber The thousand faces, gray, unblinking Witness judgement’s heavy hammer Saints and angels in the rafters Shadows of the Everafter Avatars of holy power Heralds to the day of Rapture Climbing skyward up the steeple Looking earthward over evil Standing vigil from the towers Sleepless guards of the Cathedral . . Patricia Rogers Crozier has been published in The Washington Post. Both reading and writing poetry have always been a great joy to her. She holds a B.S. in Physics from Mississippi College. She resides in Gulf Breeze, Florida, where she works at the bakery in Publix. NOTE TO READERS: If you enjoyed this poem or other content, please consider making a donation to the Society of Classical Poets. The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary. CODEC Stories:Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) 9 Responses Paul Buchheit January 18, 2023 Very rhythmic, filled with images. Very nice, Patricia! Reply Cynthia Erlandson January 18, 2023 This is quite lovely, Patricia! I love your idea of expounding on how the saint and angel figures on the cathedral are watching what happens on the earth below them, as well as reminding us of heaven. And I was surprised at my positive reaction to your assonantal rhymes (I normally prefer consonantal rhymes): stammer/clamber; rafters/rapture; and steeple/cathedral seem to me to work very well. Reply C.B. Anderson January 18, 2023 Cynthia is exactly right about your delightful half-rhymes. They cause a reader to reassess what is going on with each successive stanza, which, rather than being an impediment to understanding the poem, create pauses during which the mind is better able to grasp the entire general meaning — or something like that. But I wonder, Patricia, how you apply your education in physics in the context of a bakery. Do you ever wish you had studied chemistry instead? Reply Jeff Eardley January 19, 2023 Lovely to read Patricia with some fine imagery of a place we know very well. Thank you. Reply Mary Gardner January 19, 2023 Patricia, You have given us a good poem. The imagery and rhyme are masterful. Reply Roy Eugene Peterson January 19, 2023 Patricia, what a beautiful picture you paint of Gloucester and its cathedral with the deep meanings behind the hand-hewn saints and angels. I particularly loved your insertion of the modern word, “avatar.” Perfect imagery! Reply Margaret Coats January 19, 2023 A good poem indeed, Patricia. May Gloucester and its cathedral return to Saint Peter and the Holy Trinity to whom it was so long ago dedicated and destined. Your piece by its power asks this question for a day when it is most difficult to find the answer. You give life to many faces contemplating Judgment’s heavy hammer in that word’s many senses. Best wishes for all your work! Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant January 19, 2023 Patricia, I have thoroughly enjoyed this mellifluous marvel – it’s inspirational end rhymes and exquisite images are a spirit-lifting treat. Reply Monika Cooper February 2, 2023 A palpable excitement courses through this poem, just under the surface. You can feel its momentum toward the end of days. Reply Leave a Reply to Roy Eugene Peterson Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Captcha loading...In order to pass the CAPTCHA please enable JavaScript. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Cynthia Erlandson January 18, 2023 This is quite lovely, Patricia! I love your idea of expounding on how the saint and angel figures on the cathedral are watching what happens on the earth below them, as well as reminding us of heaven. And I was surprised at my positive reaction to your assonantal rhymes (I normally prefer consonantal rhymes): stammer/clamber; rafters/rapture; and steeple/cathedral seem to me to work very well. Reply
C.B. Anderson January 18, 2023 Cynthia is exactly right about your delightful half-rhymes. They cause a reader to reassess what is going on with each successive stanza, which, rather than being an impediment to understanding the poem, create pauses during which the mind is better able to grasp the entire general meaning — or something like that. But I wonder, Patricia, how you apply your education in physics in the context of a bakery. Do you ever wish you had studied chemistry instead? Reply
Jeff Eardley January 19, 2023 Lovely to read Patricia with some fine imagery of a place we know very well. Thank you. Reply
Mary Gardner January 19, 2023 Patricia, You have given us a good poem. The imagery and rhyme are masterful. Reply
Roy Eugene Peterson January 19, 2023 Patricia, what a beautiful picture you paint of Gloucester and its cathedral with the deep meanings behind the hand-hewn saints and angels. I particularly loved your insertion of the modern word, “avatar.” Perfect imagery! Reply
Margaret Coats January 19, 2023 A good poem indeed, Patricia. May Gloucester and its cathedral return to Saint Peter and the Holy Trinity to whom it was so long ago dedicated and destined. Your piece by its power asks this question for a day when it is most difficult to find the answer. You give life to many faces contemplating Judgment’s heavy hammer in that word’s many senses. Best wishes for all your work! Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant January 19, 2023 Patricia, I have thoroughly enjoyed this mellifluous marvel – it’s inspirational end rhymes and exquisite images are a spirit-lifting treat. Reply
Monika Cooper February 2, 2023 A palpable excitement courses through this poem, just under the surface. You can feel its momentum toward the end of days. Reply
