St David's Day (2007)

It comes as a surprise to me that I've never made a St David's Day post. The first day of March has always been of great significance to my family; we have in many years booked a table at some expensive restaurant just to celebrate this day.

But who was Saint David? This short article should serve to introduce you to one of the most pleasant and encouraging saints of all our ancient traditions. If nothing else, these words which Rhigyfarch attribute to him make uncommon sense:

"Be joyful, and keep your faith and your creed. Do the little things that you have seen me do and heard about. I will walk the path that our fathers have trod before us."

And to those words, kindly and wise, I shall append the words of an anonymous voice, coming from last St David's Day:

Wilderness

the desert never had left him
its sand lay between his toes
he swore at the bright seraphim
with the name nobody knows

rebuked, they ascended quickly
his bleached hair waved in the wind
their faces looked somewhat sickly
as if 'twas they who had sinned

he smiled as he came from the sand
they had kept him from his goal
but the name he hid in his hand
clearly protected his soul

I am not sure about the prophetic power of poetry, but I am sure that God speaks through many voices, and some are quite unexpected.