by Joffre Swait
A few years ago I was asked to give a talk/homily/grace thing at ThanksFest, a local ecumenical Thanksgiving feast put on by some great guys. This is a Thanksgiving feast that includes a Man Stone Throw. It’s a great party.
I decided to recite a poem (originally posted here, at my blog), which I wrote especially for the occasion, and delivered as a toast. This is that poem. Truth be told, it’s really three poems. Made one. Have fun with it, and I hope you enjoy it. If you make it a part of your festivities, I will be deeply honored.
Thanksgiving Poem
Thanks For Ever
But as for me, I am like a green olive-tree in the house of God: I trust in the lovingkindness of God for ever and ever. I will give thee thanks for ever, because thou hast done it; And I will hope in thy name, for it is good, in the presence of thy saints. Psalm 52:8, 9
Taking Time
Why do we mark out special times,
and why do we mark them with food, and with rhymes?
The Lordship of Christ’s in all history,
He enacts it through means, both obvious and mystery.
This poem’s about good Jesus, our King,
And how he has made us able to sing
Thanksgiving to him throughout the whole year
For taking away our dooms and our fears.
But this poem can get pretty complicated,
So first I’ll explain how it’s all related.
Adam was put in a garden sweet,
Where the fruit of the ground was sufficient meat.
All of the earth was his domain,
Even time was beneath his reign.
For God had made him not to die,
With eternal life beneath the sky.
But when we sinned we began to fear,
As seasons turn, well, death draws near.
Where once time meant more life with God,
Now time stalked, and ripped, and clawed.
The pagan man felt the trap of age,
That time and death were a bitter cage.
So Norseman, Greek, and the Chinese,
Said time was a circle, with no surcease.
The seasons and time would go ever round,
And beneath it all of man’s cities would drown.
Then Jesus came to make world anew,
The circle was broken, time was made true.
While earth and the seasons may cycle and spin,
Time marches toward a goal in the end.
Creation anew, which came and which comes,
Brought new sense of time to his Chosen Ones.
He’s called us to climb up to his holy hill,
Sing thanks that he’s saved us, and is saving us still!
We now mark the year as Christians may,
By festival, feast, and high holy day.
A humble spirit and grateful heart
For the spiritual food he does impart.
This poem next will tell who hears,
Thanksgiving ends, or begins the year
With gratitude for his provender
As it opens and ends the Christian calendar.
The Holiday
Thanksgiving comes in autumn time,
which is the time of fading.
The glory of the trees is gone
and winter soon comes raiding.
And death has stalked us all for long;
death will still come creeping.
In winter man has need for bread,
and hunger finds him weeping.
In spring man watches skies for rain
and knows his life is set
On whether earth will grant reward
for labor and for sweat.
In summer all begins to grow,
the beasts and the diseases.
If death can close its awful jaw,
it never will release us.
And so the world will spin its course;
Adam counts the seasons.
The sons of Adam never make
escape, by force or reason.
But Jesus made the world new
when Jesus broke the ages.
Time had trapped us in a ring;
we now ascend, in stages.
We once were caught by time and death,
the seasons were our prison.
Now we climb the Holy Mount,
and sing that he is risen.
These songs are what will mark our time
as we climb to be near.
Thanksgiving Day can summon us
to sing a festal year.
Thanksgiving comes in autumn time,
which is the time of reaping.
The glory of the fruit lives on
for the food that we are keeping
To feast and drink when Advent brings
Heavenly Bread to table.
Winter comes, but we are warmed
by Creation in a stable.
All the beasts and all the nations!
They all may enter the store.
The winter brings Epiphany,
and nations stream up to the door.
Within that door the seed is kept,
At Easter it will flourish.
We who were buried all rise up,
By mana we are nourished.
The fruit of summer rises up
in the time we call Ordinary.
Where once was jungle, now we find
a farm, a garden, a dairy.
From there our summer leads to fall,
we’ve been fed from day to day.
A year has cycled fully ’round,
We sang ascending the heavenly way.
On Advent Sunday another year
will be marked out in song.
Where every Sunday’s a holy day
and festal weeks are long.
This new creation and new time
is only for the grateful.
We thank our God, who did provide
down to every plateful.
So this is where our verse can change,
and cheer our celebration.
America may thank our God,
the Church is his true nation.
Our fathers found, in hostile land,
an unexpected mercy.
And so do we, and just like they,
we feast upon a turkey!
So let us thank the one true God
for good gifts and for plenty.
Begin a new year, and raise a cheer
in thanks to One for many.
Thanksgiving For The Turkey
We thank our God, for the turkey who died,
For farmers from Georgia, and peanut oil.
It’s pretty good baked, but it’s better deep-fried
In a pot full of fat that’s come to a boil.
These orange potatoes, which some have called sweet,
Were never named thus by we honest fellows.
To live up to their name, to be proper and meet,
We’ve added brown sugar, and also marshmallows.
We thank God for beer, this Highlands strong ale,
With which we toast health, and strength come from Him.
Yes, sugar and yeast make beer hearty and hale,
As the wine of the Spirit gives vigor and vim.
So here is a health to the people of God
Who love him in every season and day.
For He loved us first which seems a bit odd,
But now we’re his children, so hip-hip…hooray!
We children will toast our God, who is Father.
Mighty hen, we’re his chicks, in his bosom we lay.
Creator of all things, our Guide and our Rudder,
Sustains us each day, so hip-hip…hooray!
Again, let us cheer our God, who is Son.
Came down from Heaven, so that He may
Conquer our death, a fight that he won.
He’s first-fruits of life, so hip-hip…hooray!
Once more we’ll cheer our God, who is Spirit.
He’s given to us, and with us He’ll stay.
A comfort, a joy, whenever we’re wearied,
He’ll never forsake us, so hip-hip…hooray!
So now raise your glasses, and encourage your neighbor,
With Thanksgiving cheer the God who gives favor!
To Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, let’s drink thanks!<>
