A Lincolnshire Lad - East Barkwith Church Fête 2016 Poem by Christopher Tye

A Lincolnshire Lad - East Barkwith Church Fête 2016

It's fête time again at Saint Mary's Church,
The year's seem to fly by, last year seems like yesterday,
Old faces slowly disappear as new generations arrive,
Everything stays the same but always changes.

From the Doomsday book onwards for a millennium,
The Barkwith's of East and West so typical of Lincolnshire,
Lincolnshire's farming heartland full of ancient churches,
Saint Mary's Church always evolving since the twelfth century.

Another fête day to reminisce about the good old days,
Watched over by the Virgin Mary people gather again,
Spending a bit of money to help the church keep going,
Still at the heart of community life even if God is not so much.

All the traditions of the village fête to be had,
Coffee and cakes on England's green and pleasant land,
Old games of skill and luck to be played,
Bric-a-brac and books from Shakespeare to Fifty Shades of Grey.

Bustling with life today amongst the grave stones,
Looking over grazing sheep at pasture hoping for some cake,
Old and young with everything in between,
The odd aircraft flying over but not the Vulcan unlike 2013.

Two and a bit hours of bliss by the house of God,
Having fun and building communities,
Walking around centuries of history and life,
Summer sun surrounding activity and joyous life.

Books brought and games played this afternoon,
Managed to win the senior bowls this year but the kid's game outscored me,
As the fête draws to a close you think about years past,
By the grace of God I hope to be there again next year.

By Christopher Tye