The Green Man – by Mary West
Deep in the cathedral of a wood
In the greenness of the green
A master mason’s inspiration
Was fired – to carve a perfect
Replica of leaves and plants
In honey-coloured stone
To the glory of God.
To recreate organic truth in
The leaf’s shape,
The stem’s curve,
The vessels of veins,
The texture of fruit.
To capture for posterity
The round oak leaf, the pointed maple,
The silkworm’s mulberry, the vine,
Bryony, bittersweet, buttercup,
The wild rose, the hairy hop,
The hawthorn’s scarlet berries.
Enter the polygon —
Close your eyes, feel the green
Feel the seasons –
In the hushed silence
You might hear an acorn drop
A leaf fall
A petal open –
The eternal green
Cycle of Nature surrounds you
The past is present,
The Green man winks!