Columba 521-597

Brigid 453-523

Cecilia, martyred 117

David 1085-1015 BC

Only these four are placed to catch our prayers

to bowl them onward to the heavenly stumps;

to be the match-makers who bide their time

and drip their words of honey in the ear of God.

They have their other charges too, but none

they bend so fondly to as us, caress our hair.

Pray to them for reverie and peace, for threnody

and rhyme, for words which out-do death.