Sally Read is an English poet who was born in Suffolk in 1971. She is a former atheist who converted to Catholicism. In 2010 she experienced a powerful conversion to Christ. As an atheist she had bitterly opposed the Catholic Church's stance on abortion and contraception. She engaged in debate with Byzantine priest Fr Gregory Hrynkiw and underwent an intellectual epiphany. By the time she had converted to Catholicism in December 2010 she had already written and published a few poems about Mary, Mother of God-- specifically two that sought to debunk the biblical account of the Annunciation. Sally Read gives some background information on the Song Lady in her blog The Far-Near. This was penned after her conversion.
Lady received its premiere on 16th June 2013 at 11:30am Mass at the Pro-Cathedral, Dublin by the Palestrina Choir. The February 2014 edition of The Messenger of St Anthony has a very moving article on the conversion of Sally Read.
Lady
Lady, still as a harp-string
ready for the finger’s touch.
Woman, stepping inside to eye-bruising dark
with a jug of water.
Only your lush ear could catch
the angel’s words,
and only you could make them flesh.
What stillness. In stillness
beyond tissue of thought
He formed. Lady, closest to God,
pray that we make the ground inside us
rich enough for this formation,
that we always wear the anatomy of His death.
Lady, still as a well, turning hurt and consolation,
show us how to listen in our emptiness.
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