St. Columba and the Loch Ness Monster on St. George’s Day

Public Domain

Continue my series of posts for Earth Day, today I want to share with you a sonnet I’ve written about St. Columba. Before I do that, however, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that today is St. George’s Day. St. George is a favorite saint of mine, so much so that one of my children bears his name as a middle name. George was also the name of my maternal grandfather and means farmer, so it seems a fitting name for such a day. St. George is patron of England, although if he lived at all he did so in modern day Turkey. But he is also the patron saint of farmers, sheep, shepherds, skin diseases and more. I would, if I had a poem on St. George, share it with you all. You can read one by Malcolm Guite here.

But, since I don’t have a poem about St. George the dragonslayer, a poem about St. Columba will have to do. Columba is one of the first Irish saints I ever learned about. His story is a truly fascinating one. But perhaps my favorite story deals with his banishment of a river monster in the River Ness. This story is the subject of my poem. I hope you enjoy.

You sent young Luigne to entice the beast,
And he went without a moment’s hesitation.
He swam into the river’s fluctuation.
All who watched thought you sent him to be a feast.
The hungry serpent swam and roared and reached
The swimming boy with hungry salutation.
All those who looked on watched in fear and frustration,
As you, Columba, looked on in holy peace.
For you knew how to read the book of creation,
What songs or signs would send the creature running.
By the grace of God and by the Holy Rood,
You sent the creature to its new habitation.
Pictish heathens stood, their minds all wondering,
“Who is this Christ we may have misunderstood?”