Old Age – "East Coast Journey"
In the poem “East Coast Journey” the speaker encounters an old man in a pub. The picture of the man’s face stays with him until he lays in bed at night, contemplating about how cravings change as one gets older.
The speaker describes the man’s face as battle worn, drowning his life in alcohol. Later at night, the speaker comes to the realization how men like the one from the pub stop craving things like food, drink or women as they get older, but only long for death, coming to them in the form of a beautiful goddess.
Being tested by God – "Jerusalem Sonnet I"
The speaker is gravely annoyed by a louse that has nested in his beard. While everyone around him tells him how even the louse is a precious being made by god, the speaker is not comforted by this sentiment. Instead, he finds himself in the chapel, in the middle of the night, after being woken up by the painful louse bites again. Having walked there in the rain and cold with bare feet, the speaker imagines God’s amusement at the sight he must be and questions why God sees fit to test and torment him with this louse.
Peace in Nature – "Autumn Testament"
The speaker lives the lively house he currently resides in to pray in the old, empty church in the middle of the night. On his way, he encounters many animals, slightly disturbing them in their nightly peace. Watching and listening to the animals gives the speaker peace as he makes his way down and later back up the hill again, even though he is barefoot and the road is hurting his feet.
At his return to the house, the speaker notices that even more guests have arrived and he begins to question Jesus why he would give him the desired peace for a moment only to take it away again so soon.
