An Autumnal Song

"Time of No Reply"

Summer was gone and the heat died down
And Autumn reached for her golden crown
I looked behind as I heard a sigh
But this was the time of no reply.

The sun went down and the crowd went home
I was left by the roadside all alone
I turned to speak as they went by
But this was the time of no reply.

The time of no reply is calling me to stay
There is no hello and no goodbye
To leave there is no way.

The trees on the hill had nothing to say
They would keep their dreams till another day
So they stood and thought and wondered why
For this was the time of no reply.

Time goes by from year to year
And no one asks why I am standing here
But I have my answer as I look to the sky
This is the time of no reply.

The time of no reply is calling me to stay
There`s no hello and no goodbye
To leave there is no way.


Words and music by Nick Drake (1948 - 1974)



This morning was Harvest Festival Parish Communion at St Luke's, with all the same people we shared Harvest Supper with yesterday evening.  When I was growing up, our church in Rayleigh made a beautiful display of vegetables, fruits, breads and so on piled up around the base of the pulpit.  But for our offerings today, we were asked to bring along tins of soup, corned beef and tuna for the Colchester Soup Run, which has been going for 20 years and offers a meal to homeless people in Colchester every day of the year.  The tins were not quite such a pretty sight in their assorted carrier bags lined up along each side of the choir, but were nevertheless an appropriate thanksgiving which can be put to immediate use for those in need.


I like the autumnal colours of the chrysanths in my blipfoto.  They were given to Mum by my niece a week ago, and have lasted really well.