The Herald

In the depths of winter’s chill, 
A herald waits upon the hill, 
With words of hope upon his tongue, A message for the old and young.

With the coming of the spring, 
New life and growth he’ll bring, 
A promise of a brighter day, 
As winter’s grip begins to fray.

With the warmth of the sun, 
The battle against cold is won, 
And in the fields and forests green, The beauty of new life is seen.

So let us listen to his call, 
As winter fades and spring enthralls, And embrace the hope that he brings, 
As we welcome the return of spring.

A poem and images inspired by Thomas Merton’s ‘The Messenger‘

Thomas Merton was a Trappist monk and one of the most well-known Catholic writers of the twentieth century. He was a prolific poet, religious writer, and essayist whose work touched on a wide range of themes, including spirituality, social justice, and the natural world. “The Messenger” is one of his poems that celebrates the coming of spring and the renewal of life. In this poem, Merton describes a sentry at the rim of winter who waits to warn all life with the tongue of March’s bugle. The poem also mentions Gabriel, who in Christian tradition is an angel who serves as a messenger from God. In this context, Gabriel’s message to the Mother of God can be interpreted as the announcement of the coming of new life and hope. The poem celebrates the beauty and power of nature and its ability to renew itself after the long winter.

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