A wee clump of grass grew
in a crack in a kerbstone
alongside a busy road
in Belfast.
A wee dome of green spikiness,
only inches tall,
in the midst of bitmac, tarmac
and kerbing.

A wee green dome of beauty,
really!
I loved to see
this wee clump of grass
on my evening walks.

Then along came
an Irish summer.
First of all, the rain –
torrential and flooding,
half-burying the wee clump of grass
in mud.
Followed by a drought –
weeks without water
that caused the wee clump of grass
to wilt.
But the finishing touch came
courtesy of Belfast City Council
when one of its road sweepers
swept my wee clump of grass
into oblivion!

Oh, dear!

Now it’s autumn
with its gentle, warm
September breeze
and soft rain.
And guess what has returned?
My wee clump of grass,
all green, beautiful and spikey,
swaying slightly
as cars and articulated lorries
speed past!

Seeing it there makes me smile!

And it makes me wonder …
you know those times in life
when God doesn’t seem
to answer your prayer?
Could it be that sometimes
God isn’t saying, “No!”,
He’s simply saying,
“Not yet!”?

© Claire Murray, 13th October 2025

Lord,
someone spent fifteen years
studying the Shroud of Turin
and building a model
of You.

Shoulder-length hair
and a thick beard.
A nose that looks Roman …
or broken.
Gashes and slashes
in their hundreds
all over Your chest, back
legs and arms.
Gaping holes in Your feet,
knees bruised.

A body that was absolutely
tortured.

Fascinating
to see Your face,
horrifying
to see Your ravaged body,
humbling
because You did this for me.

And so I find myself
staring at this image of You
and I find myself to be
dumbfounded.

I did not deserve this.

© Claire Murray, July 2024

(https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252551/the-first-hyper-realistic-body-of-christ-based-on-the-holy-shroud-is-on-exhibit-in-spain)

In my mid-forties
I remember drinking coffee with friends
at Belfast City Hall.
“In years to come”,
one friend commented,
“we’ll sit and drink coffee
while we discuss our ailments.”

“Not me!” I thought to myself.
(Growing old was definitely
for other people!)

Roll-on fifteen years
and those thoughts come back
to haunt me.

You see,
now that I’ve turned sixty,
aches and pains
have begun to appear.

Words of my mother-in-law, Dolores,
come to mind –
“Nobody ever thinks
that they’re going to get old!”
And Aunt Winnie, too –
“Growing old isn’t fun!”

Feeling somewhat humbled
by my aches and pains,
I settle down to pray
before going to bed.
“If this discomfort
is what You has planned for me, Lord,
then so be it.
In the meantime, Lord,
thank You for cod liver oil.”

The final part of my prayer
shocks me.
It can only mean one thing –
I’m definitely old!

Yikes!!!
(How did that happen?)

© Claire Murray, 2nd October 2025