BAFFLED IN BETHLEHEM
May 2010
They took my photograph beside
That controversial wall.
Beneath the brutal sun we both
Stood strong and straight and tall.
A cross in white aslant on blue
Marks the symbolic spot:
I posed beside a Saltire
Sprayed by a left-wing Scot..
I hadn’t brought an aerosol
And couldn’t even try
To add a few well chosen words:
“How long, O Lord?” and “Why?”
Then off we went to Bethlehem.
A checkpoint barred the way;
Which didn’t baffle Joseph
In loaded Mary’s day
When buzzing flies tormented
And potholes lay in wait.
Now bored Israeli conscripts
Guard the embittered gate.
Our coach - containing pilgrims -
Was not delayed by much:
The wall is meant to stop the plots
Of terror-mongers - such
As bombers bent on suicide:
It stops them getting through.
(Though folk who need dialysis
Have transit problems too.)
The Church of the Nativity
Looms large in Manger Square.
Some came to pray and some to trade
To giggle, mourn or stare.
Our leader said “We westerners
May find the set-up odd.
Walk humbly, lest you trample on
The hidden grace of God. “
Down in the crypt a silver star
Is said to mark the spot
Where Christ the Lord lay fast asleep.
“Maybe -.or maybe not”
I thought – and prayed “Our Father”
As He himself advises -
My Lord of unexpected Hope
And King of strange Surprises.
We met a jobless pedlar
Where angels sang to sheep.
He sold me a pipe - authentic type –
The tourist price was steep.
But though its range is limited
I do my best to play
“ O come let us adore him”
To welcome Christmas Day.
For Bethlehem - beleaguered
Behind that wall, beset
By mutual fear and hate - needs all
The hope that it can get.
And so I aim my paper dart
Against this mocking wrong.
The wall, I pray, will fall one day:
But when? O Lord, how long?
www.johncoutts.eu Christmas 2011
To Tarik Gunersel (Turkish PEN) and others
Greetings from Scotland!
In 2010 Heather and I went on pilgrimage to the Holy Land. We did not want to travel as tourists, and so we went with BibleLands - a small organisation which provides help to Palestinians - e.g the Helen Keller School for the Blind.(www.biblelands.org.uk) It is true that the situation is not improving - which fills me with even more admiration for the brave souls - of many faiths and philosophies - who keep the flickering cause of peace alive. We had the privilege of meeting some of them. I recall a similar situation in South Africa in earlier times - and the famous book "Naught for your comfort", written in the 1960s by Trevor Huddleston.
We were there at the time of the attack on the Turkish relief ship to Gaza, and on the last Friday of our visit, a large protest demonstration took place on the Temple Mount.
Sadly the town of Bethlehem is nearly surrounded by that great and ugly dividing wall . We were surprised to find that a protesting graffiti artist had sprayed a Scottish flag on it - which gave me the chance to have my photo taken - plus an idea for a poem.
With every good wish for the coming year.
John Coutts.
Writers for Peace Committee
Scottish PEN
