I belong to a writing group called Cotswold Scribblers and at the end of each meeting we are given our writing project for the next meeting.

For the following meeting in March we were asked to write a Sonnet.

I have written a small number of poems before - but a Sonnet!

First, I had to refresh my memory on the definition of a sonnet.

That was just the start of the problem because you have to be concise to get everything in 14 lines, but at least these days the rules for rhyming are a lot more flexible.

Given that it still leaves the problem of what to say in those few lines.

During the week of our next meeting we spent two days in Bournemouth where we met a couple of fellow Christians and when we parted the husband said “we need to watch and pray because time is short and we need to let people know the gospel message.”

During the journey home, Watch and Pray was on my mind and I was able to sketch out 14 lines.

Once home, I tidied up the sonnet ready to read at the next meeting.

Recently, we have had many different statements about the health of our planet such as the rising sea levels in the Antarctic causing the Antarctic Graham Land Peninsular to disappear, affecting the algae and lichen which will affect or destroy the food chain, eventually, having an effect on our food chain.

Such events predicted by scientists has prompted the Extinction Rebellion protest in London.

So perhaps the time is right for such concern, and we should all Watch and Pray what’s happening (Luke Ch. 21 v 36).

And the sonnet:

When I was young, I used to sigh

To see a man with placard high

Because it said ‘The end is nigh’

It made me think ‘Oh why? Oh why?’

But now I’m older, I’m learning fast

And with it now I feel aghast

The signs are there, it’s coming true.

It’s telling me there’s a lot to do.

It’s getting close, must let them know

The controlling empire formed in Rome.

‘666’, it doesn’t scan, ‘cause Hebrew has no numbers.

It uses ‘W’ instead, and you know what that encumbers

We need to ‘Watch’, we need to ‘Pray’

So, we can tell them. Without delay.