St Mary Redcliffe Church Poems
St. Mary Redcliffe Church (1)
Good citizens of Bristol town.
As you go up, or maybe down Old Redcliffe Hill, O stand and stare
At what, as evening falls, is there!
Sculpture of stone as new, so bright
Gives, so much pleasure to the sight
Of a ‘Jewel in a faery sea’
Indeed, and what would his words be
If Chatterton could see but how
If sparkles with such brilliance now?
A tower of grandeur lit, admire
Each decorative with hand cut stone
That for centuries they’ve loved to own.
and all around there is to see
The medieval mason’s artistry
In modern artificial light
Against the natural dark of night
See flying buttresses of enduring strength
The parapet of triangled length
And reminiscent of whimpled days.
The frames of lower windowed bays.
What other building can ‘hold a touch’
To that of Redcliffe ‘s Outer North Porch?
Now that its wondrous carvings known
Are from great arc-lamps perfectly shown.
St. Mary Redcliffe (2)
I sit within its nave and aisles
View that the masons built here.
Great arches of supportive strength
From East to West appear.
Atop of these stone arms do meet
As if in silent prayer, continually
And praise to God who wondrously
Though buy unseen, is there.
And with his peace that passes all
The understanding of men
And cannot be described at all
By voice, neither by pen!
Above clerestory windows show
A ceiling of beauty.
With gilded bosses, painted ribs
All of a symmetry.
Gilbert Croker
The Church Cat
Beneath a stone in Redcliffe’s churchyard lies
What was a strange thing in God’s house, a cat!
Which was, before its very sad demise
Often upon the organ - stool, just sat.
Listening to the notes played soft and sweet
Or in the organist’s lap so still and warm
It would not “turn a whisker” at the treat
Of pedalled notes bringing on a ‘storm’
Its purpose in life was to keep from view
Those furry creatures lest they think a pew,
Especially at harvest time of year,
A place that would to them be very dear.
Now the number of its years can be found
Upon this stone, within this hallowed ground.
Redcliffe Girls
We are the Redcliffe Girls
We save our tanners
We know our manners
We are respected wherever we go
When we are marching down Redcliffe Hill
Doors and windows open wide
Wherever we go
They always know
That we are the Redcliffe Girls