Orphrey Nice

ABC WEDNESDAY

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ORPHREY NICE!

Centuries old, this chasuble displays an orphrey cross.

The meaning wasn't clear at first; I was really at a loss.

But now I know that orphrey is religious decoration

It's embroidery of a certain type, as in the illustration.

Think of the Parish women, working night and day

To make sure that the local Priest was dressed a certain way!

Think of the gold and silver, and all that warp and weft!

Think of the needles flashing; those old hands swift and deft!

What was the purpose of it ? I think I understand......

Expensive ornamentation made the cleric appear more grand.

Was it all 'For the Glory of God' or for something far, far less,

Something nearer humanity.....something far from holiness?

I speak of self-aggrandisemen. I speak of human pride.

I speak of human-nature, which cannot be denied.

No doubt the Church gave rise to beauty which we cherish now;

Glorious Cathedrals..... that I will allow.

But I think of the embroiderers, the stone-masons, the poor,

Who had such lives of poverty, and brevity, what's more.

Read the description which follows...... the lavishness will amaze!

And ask yourself, when you've read it 'Were they really  

The Good Old Days?'

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Description of the above work.

"Orphrey Cross: linen, plain weave; embroidered with silk floss and gilt- and-silvered-animal-substrate-wrapped linen in bullion, outline, satin, and split stitches; laid work, couching and padded couching; orphrey braid: silk and silver-gilt strip wound around silk fiber core, plain weave, open work with weft deviations; fringe: silk and gold-gilt-strip wound around silk fiber core, warp-faced plain weave with extended ground weft and supplementary patterning weft uncut fringe off one edge."

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PITY POOR POLLYWOG!


I'm glad I'm not a Pollywog!
A tadpole's insecure
From day to day
It can never say
How it's going to look, for sure.

It starts off as a roundish blob,
But then it grows a tail!
When it looks around
The tail is found
And it says 'Wow! I'm a whale!'

Very soon two arms are sprouting.
He's amazed by what he's seeing!
He holds them there
Up in the air
Shouting 'I'm a human being!'

But the two legs prove that that's not right
And he sees them sprout, brand new,
Double-jointed, long
And very strong'
So he says 'I'm a kangaroo!'

But the worst is yet to happen!
His tail begins to itch,
Then it starts to ache
And finally break
And he leaves it in a ditch.

Feeling really puzzled,
He climbs up on a log.
Then he starts to croak
And sees the joke;
'I get it! I'm a frog!'
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