THE BELL
PICTURES AND STORIES BEHIND Series No.3
A Poem Dedicated to an Old Bell on the Ground of the First Church of Otago, Dunedin, NZ
The bell had its glorious days in the past
Dating back to 1851 when it was first cast.
Gleaming and glittering it was proudly loaded
On a ship bound to the Land of Long White Cloud*
With blessings and good wishes from the Queen
To her subjects living overseas poles apart
When a quarter of Earth's land in the hands of the Crown.
The First Church of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
It ended up landing in Dunedin at last**
Not long after Scots made it their home for settlement.
Erected on a hill high and aloft
So that its sound could be heard far and wide.
In the midst of its tireless tolls,
The community grew and throve,
Calling the congregation to Sunday worship by rule
And chiming the hour of day as it used to do.
When a big decision had to be made for all
It struck to assemble its people for thought.
For generations, the bell attended its duties so well,
Hence the place has its name Bell Hill.
The Bell, now out of service, on the ground of the First Church of Otago. On the surface of its body are cast words "TIME IS SHORT"
Now, after a long service over one and a half century,
On the pedestal outside an old church it sits still,***
Aged and stained with rust,
Disabled permanently with a deep cut,
Only letting visitors admire its glory
Which is long past and gone,
And meditate upon the cast words
Which forever glow and shine.
Notes:
*New Zealand is a country known by native Maori people as “the Land of Long White Cloud”.
**Dunedin is the second largest city on NZ south island, with a population of roughly about 140,000 residents. The city has a strong bond with Scotland as initial settlement was made here by Scottish emigrants. Today the city is better known for the University of Otago which is located in the center of the town. Established in 1871, it is the oldest university in NZ and the third oldest in Oceania.
***It refers to the First Church of Otago standing on the Bell Hill,Dunedin, New Zealand.
