Serving God in the heart of our community since 1881

St Andrew's Church, Taunton

Henry's Goat's Blog Part 26 -

A gift from a goat

5 August 2007

I’ve something to tell you, I’ve news to convey:

I’m writing this blog, then I’m going away.

My days here are over. I’m leaving tonight,

And this is the last ever blog I shall write.

So why am I leaving? And where shall I go?

The future is hazy, but one thing I know:

It’s time to move on; I must follow my star

Wherever it leads – and it may lead me far.

I’m starting in Europe, the sights for to see.

I’ll do the Grand Tour. I’ll be having a spree!

I’ll see all the cities, like Paris and Rome;

Then head for the hills, where a goat feels at home.

A goat, in his youth, should the Matterhorn climb,

To stand on the top of that summit sublime.

The Eiger, as well, is a peak to ascend;

You start from the north, and you go with a friend.

I’ll walk through the pastures and meet all the goats;

We’ll talk about puppies and rabbits and stoats.

Then one final visit, as destiny calls:

He wants me to go to the Reichenbach Falls.

I won’t finish there. I’ve a long way to go;

I’m searching the world for a goat I don’t know –

The goat that was his, but was not his at all,

The goat that’s in Laos, or perhaps in Nepal,

Or perhaps somewhere else, for I really don’t know,

But one day I’ll find him, in sun or in snow.

And when I have found him, in snow or in sun,

I’ll stop, for I’ll know that my journey is done.

And then we shall talk: we shall talk of the past,

Of how I went searching, and found him at last;

We’ll talk of the moat, and my friends left behind;

We’ll talk of the future, and what we shall find.

We’ll talk and we’ll rest. At the turn of the year,

As Christmas comes round, in that season of cheer,

The greeting of old will remain the same still,

The message to everyone, ‘Peace and goodwill’.

And then we shall know it is time we should start

On the work that is ours; we shall each play our part.

Our task is to seek out each piece of goodwill,

To plant it, to grow it, to nurture it, till

There’s more than enough for the whole of the earth;

We’ll mix it and stir it with mountains of mirth;

We’ll give it away, and with plenty to spare;

Just look, and you’ll see there’s goodwill in the air –

There’s lots of goodwill, and there’s merriment too,

A gift from a goat, it is my gift to you.