A Peal for Time

When Sabinian brought the bell
A Saxon church stood here
One bell they lofted,
Calling faithful souls to prayer, morning and night.
When William reigned, the bell pealed his power
Calling curfew,
All serfs indoors, all light extinguished
No chance for Saxon plotters in the dark of night.

Years later, wolves came,
Circling the church,
Cousin fighting cousin over Henry’s land
With peace restored, reshaping stone, the masons' chisels rang
Leaving their narrow leafed windows to stand reminder to a Plantagenet king.
Two centuries on, three bells sang out - no strange metal, by old craft wrought,
Marking both joy and prayer in a turning world.

Cromwell hushed their songs - as musket balls scarred oak
Kin against kin over king or state.
A king restored, they pealed for Charles,
Two hundred years of peace and jubilation
Before darkness came and wars returned
And bells were stilled until the day a thankful village
Sang welcome to her sons.

And now, no wars to mark,
No dying bell to track each final breath
No sanctuary offered against arrow, spear and sword
Yet still across the valleys five bells peal
Grandsire triples and Treble Bob Majors -a ringing team
A single bell, the weekly call to prayer
Thus bells remain a part of village life
The people’s heart .