The Bright Field by R.S.Thomas

A reading of the poem by Carol O'Connor

On Wednesday the 16th of June, Carol O’Connor led a Spiritual Reading Group session via Zoom on the Welsh poet R.S. Thomas.

Four poems were discussed, the fourth poem being ‘The Bright Field’.

This image is a pencil colour drawing by Philip Harvey.

The Bright Field

I have seen the sun break through to illuminate a small field for a while, and gone my way and forgotten it. But that was the pearl of great price, the one field that had treasure in it. I realize now that I must give all that I have to possess it. Life is not hurrying

on to a receding future, nor hankering after an imagined past. It is the turning aside like Moses to the miracle of the lit bush, to a brightness that seemed as transitory as your youth once, but is the eternity that awaits you.

As far as I am aware we have no copies of any sermon whi