The rock hewn Cross of Inishmacsaint,
To the west wall of that sacred ruin;
Monument to Christ and the Mason quaint,
Dispersed islands around it strewn.
In that windswept watery wilderness,
Some met there to worship their God;
That gathering bowed, the Cleric did bless,
As they rested from net and the sod.
Wide walls still stand tall and hoary,
A reminder of times passing slow,
When people heard the Carpenter’s story,
In difficult times long ago.
The island like Church now deserted,
No flock to meet there again,
But the ground remains consecrated,
Symbolic for us to maintain.
A stone link with ancestral crusaders,
To establish the faith they did strive,
With unbelievers whilst facing invaders,
Celebrated by those now alive.
Monty Alexander 27.3.97