A Lincolnshire Benedicite:
'O All Ye Works Of The Lord, Bless Ye The Lord'
Lincolnshire - bless the Lord :
All you deaneries and parishes;
Woodland, Wolds, Fenland and Wash - bless the Lord:
Praise and extol Him forever and ever.

All you big things - bless the Lord:
Cathedral and farm,
Windmill, Stump, docks;
Witham, Trent and Welland rivers - bless the Lord.
Praise and extol Him forever and ever.

All you tiny things - bless the Lord:
Goldcrest and harvest-mouse,
Pollen dust, grains of sand,
Linseed, grass seed,
Wheat ears, barley awn, dragon-fly and ladybirds - bless the Lord:
Praise and extol Him forever and ever.
All you sharp things - bless the Lord:
Hayfork tines and rose thorns,
Ploughhsare, teasel, sword-sharp stubble,
Disc harrows, flails and barbed-wire - bless the Lord:
Praise and extol Him forever and ever.

All you soft things - bless the Lord.
Lincoln Longwool and Border Leicester fleeces,
Hay bales, silage bags, thistledown,
November fog and summer rain - bless the Lord:
Praise and extol Him forever and ever.

All you sweet things - bless the Lord:
Blackberries and field-bean flowers,
Honey, vining peas, plums,
Sugar beet and molasses - bless the Lord:
Praise and extol Him forever and ever.

All you bitter things - bless the Lord:
Crab-apples and sloes,
Home-brewed beer and
A 'lazy' northeast wind - bless the Lord:
Praise and extol Him forever and ever.
All you swift things - bless the Lord:
Wild rabbits and weasel,
Red deer, Red Arrows,
Air Ambulance, sparrow-hawks and hares - bless the Lord:
Praise and extol Him forever and ever.
All you slow things - bless the Lord:
A winter thaw, a garden snail,
Lincoln Red, Charolais and
Friesian cattle - bless the Lord:
Praise and extol Him forever and ever.
All you loud things - bless the Lord:
Tractors and trailers,
Combine drum, balers
A pheasant's alarm, barking foxes and
Chain-saw engines - bless the Lord:
Praise and extol Him forever and ever.

All you quiet things - bless the Lord:
Swooping barn owl and a stalking cat,
Sticklebacks, minnows,
Drifting cloud, freshly-harvested fields and
Full stores of grain - bless the Lord:
Praise and extol Him forever and ever.

'Now all you creatures that never talk' - still
Bless the Lord:
Praise and Extol him forever and ever.
Amen.

'A Lincolnshire Benedicite' is by Peter & Pauline Lister of Bourne (whose copyright is acknowled) and was printed in Terry Miller's 'Beating the Bounds; Walks & Rides in Lincolnshire in the Millenium Year' (Nth Degree, 2001).

TJH 28/05/2007