wordplay at evensong

I had the opportunity to use my new altered book of prayer at an Evensong service at Christ Church a couple of nights ago. I realized that I have to add many more poems and fragments to pass the time; my handful of poems lasted all of five minutes. I must have read Hirsch’s “Sleepwalkers” poem a dozen times, a poem that exemplifies blind faith–in the self, in the body. I was sleepwalking through the service; all the standing, sitting, kneeling, standing.

 

Sleep-standing, sleep-kneeling.

The choir made my bones tingle, as always, but apart from that, I was fidgety.  I thought of all the poets I would have liked to read just then, to excite and fortify me. Besides, Amen sounds an awful lot like a yawn. Like a lullaby.

That’s why I was so excited to find this on my pew:


 

Someone used the back of the Evensong program to work out anagrams of the clergy’s names!

Who can guess our mystery anagrammatist’s motives? A bit of benign fun? A poke in the ribs? Who knows.

 

I’m happy to see I’m not alone in my irreverence.

I won’t defame the clergy by writing their names out, but you can look them up if you wish. Here are their nicknames:

*

 “Merry bog tril (l).

“Giant rim cork.”

“Ay, Lentil Bag.”

“O, Trash Oaf.”

*

All in good fun I’m sure.