I tend to write for purpose. It’s a hangover from my past when I worked as a journalist and copywriter. This prayer was written for a Winter Vigil. It pays homage to the spirit of the Tao and Winter. We give thanks for your mysterySeason of the North When you triumphWe slam the door,Turning againstYour […]

On October 15th The Interfaith Contact Group of Brighton and Hove held a peace vigil. It proved to be a beautiful and sad moment of peace: all sorts of loving messages of peace, and even songs were shared, along with long silences and candle lighting. I read a prayer, entitled The Four Points Peace Prayer, […]

For the past eight years I have been doing a radio slot on Sunday mornings – a 60 second sermon. The themes have varied greatly, from miracles to uncertainty. Today, the 1st of September, it had to be about autumn… and here it is: Today is officially the first day of autumn, an inspirational moment for […]

The BBC Maestro Poetry Course is great fun. It was created by the great Carol Ann Duffy. Not only does it remind one that the BBC is a seriously good thing, but even more wonderful, it encourages one to write poetry in a structured way. The first chapter dealt with memories.

Tonight we have a ‘friendship meeting’ about Work and Rest at the Baha’i Centre. For some strange reason I always associate rest — contemplative rest with looking up at the clouds. It is as if the clouds talk to us, and remind us of the wisdom of rest, peace and the beauty of meditation. There […]

Yes please, wake up and feel joy… but if you feel you can’t find joy… there are tricks and messages to your deepest self… that can make it happen. This is my recipe for waking up to joy. First of all check in. It’s morning, possibly… and you have just woken up. Time to ask […]

I have always loved handwriting. I have endless notebooks that open with phrases like “I love this pen, but this other one is much less fun…” and “What’s wrong with this bloody pencil? It won’t do as it’s told!” When I went to school I took great care to make my handwriting as aesthetically pleasing […]

These words came to mind a day or two ago. They were written for my funeral readings website, but most importantly for those that seek comfort in the midst of great sadness. An angel fell to earthShe tumbled like a stoneA meteorA speck of space rubble She laughedAs she enteredThe outer atmosphere Just a dot […]

When people die we sometimes view them differently… in ways we didn’t see them when they were alive. We recall the good and the bad with a degree of uncertainty – sometimes guilt, sometimes sentimentality. There is no harm in being realistic, and with this in mind I have written a funeral reading for someone […]

Grab your coat and get your eggLeave your worries out on the landingJust direct those dancing feetTo the sticky side of the street Can you hear that scrunching noise?Granny’s munching on her cream eggGrab your own with hands and feetAnd get chewing your Easter treat I used to walk in the rainAnd get drenched from […]