I did not join they praying crowds
\nIn man built temples made of stone
\nI did not go to pray as such
\nWhere I went walking on my own
\nIn Merlin Woods where each step
\nEchod like a thunderclap
\nBreaking a crytal skin of ice over each pebble and twig
\nWith each step with a snap.<\/p>\n
Angels flew overhead in the sky…
\n Well magpies did anyway
\nA chorus of other birds sang natures hymns
\nOther’s responded from far away.
\nBirds are the angels of natures heaven
\nSinging their songs of praise
\nNot understood my mortal man
\nIgnorant in his knowledge and his busy day’s. <\/p>\n
I offered no prayers to the Christ child
\nLit no candles at no cribs and mangers
\nI walked where God made and lives
\nWhere the pious are often strangers.
\nThat was my worship Christmas morning
\nAmong the trees in Merlin Wood
\nThere was no clergy or congregation
\nAnd the worship was just as good!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I did not join they praying crowds In man built temples made of stone I did not go to pray as such Where I went walking on my own In Merlin Woods where each step Echod like a thunderclap Breaking a crytal skin of ice over each pebble and twig …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[361,109,64,54,446,90],"tags":[358,391,1565,405],"class_list":["post-1377","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-christmas-poetry","category-environment","category-inspirational-poetry","category-ireland","category-moral","category-walking-verses","tag-christmas","tag-galway","tag-merlin-woods","tag-walking","column","twocol"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7EI4f-md","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1636,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/merlin-woods-spring-morning\/","url_meta":{"origin":1377,"position":0},"title":"Merlin Woods – Spring Morning","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"16th April 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"The castle watches over landscape changed By mans creation, not the acts of war like before As in former times, this land knows peace Buy yet may know destruction once more... Trees planted in vision to be grown Among his descendants to be walked He could not have seen the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Gander Around Galway"","block_context":{"text":"Gander Around Galway","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/travel-poems\/gander-around-galway\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2245,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/plotting-a-duel-in-merlin-woods\/","url_meta":{"origin":1377,"position":1},"title":"Plotting a Duel in Merlin Woods","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"3rd September 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Merlin Woods in a wood near where I live. A hospital is there now, and the wood is a public park. However, in days gone by, it is where duels were fought and scores settled. While walking there one day lately, and pondering the stand off over the Banagher Horse\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Banagher"","block_context":{"text":"Banagher","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/banagher\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Castle in Merlin Woods","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/Castle-in-Merlin-Woods.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/Castle-in-Merlin-Woods.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/Castle-in-Merlin-Woods.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/Castle-in-Merlin-Woods.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4955,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/forests-of-concrete-grow-where-nature-made-homes\/","url_meta":{"origin":1377,"position":2},"title":"Forests of Concrete Grow Where Nature Made Homes","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"28th March 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"A path led on in the peaceful woods, And ended all too soon Cut in two by a wide new road Each side daffodils in bloom Through which cars drove and lorries too A meadow stands alone Yet planners draw the dreams they saw Where grass till now has grown.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Environment"","block_context":{"text":"Environment","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/environment\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/writingsinrhyme.celtichosting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Rosshill-Woods-the-remnant-of-the-southern-part-of-Merlin-Woods.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/writingsinrhyme.celtichosting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Rosshill-Woods-the-remnant-of-the-southern-part-of-Merlin-Woods.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/writingsinrhyme.celtichosting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Rosshill-Woods-the-remnant-of-the-southern-part-of-Merlin-Woods.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/writingsinrhyme.celtichosting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Rosshill-Woods-the-remnant-of-the-southern-part-of-Merlin-Woods.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/writingsinrhyme.celtichosting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Rosshill-Woods-the-remnant-of-the-southern-part-of-Merlin-Woods.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/writingsinrhyme.celtichosting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Rosshill-Woods-the-remnant-of-the-southern-part-of-Merlin-Woods.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2766,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/flying-a-drone-in-merlin-woods\/","url_meta":{"origin":1377,"position":3},"title":"Flying a Drone in Merlin Woods","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"27th May 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Flying a drone in the Merlin Woods in Galway today, I thought of when I watched the movie \"Eye in the Sky\" a few weeks back and how folk fear drones in Afghanistan and Pakistan and such places... Perfect weather for flying Little wind, warm sun, not too many passers\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Gander Around Galway"","block_context":{"text":"Gander Around Galway","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/travel-poems\/gander-around-galway\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2549,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/birds-sing\/","url_meta":{"origin":1377,"position":4},"title":"Birds Sing","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"13th February 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"The birds sing among the boughs The wind blows soft upon the face Life is hard on the best of days Hard to remember in this serene place. All too often in places like here Folk\u00a0come to be alone To be found by those who them miss when gone To\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Death"","block_context":{"text":"Death","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/death\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"This mural to Mags has been unveiled in town, painted by those to whom she was held dear...","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Mags-Berry.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Mags-Berry.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Mags-Berry.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Mags-Berry.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Mags-Berry.jpg?resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4503,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/give-stonehenge-back-to-the-irish\/","url_meta":{"origin":1377,"position":5},"title":"Give Stonehenge Back to the Irish!","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"17th April 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"One legend states the stones of Stonehenge came from Killare in Westmeath, the Hill of Uisneach. When Merlins army failed to take them by force, he took them by majic, wanting \"The Giants Ring\" to make a monument to an army of his that died in battle. Another legend says\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Fairies"","block_context":{"text":"Fairies","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/ireland\/irish-legend\/fairies\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Stonehenge is to be renamed BallyStonehenge as its actually from Westmeath","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Stonehenge-is-to-be-renamed-BallyStonehenge-as-its-actually-from-Westmeath.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Stonehenge-is-to-be-renamed-BallyStonehenge-as-its-actually-from-Westmeath.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Stonehenge-is-to-be-renamed-BallyStonehenge-as-its-actually-from-Westmeath.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Stonehenge-is-to-be-renamed-BallyStonehenge-as-its-actually-from-Westmeath.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Stonehenge-is-to-be-renamed-BallyStonehenge-as-its-actually-from-Westmeath.jpg?resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1377","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1377"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1377\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1379,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1377\/revisions\/1379"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1377"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1377"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1377"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}