+ Way Words 1: A Cry for the Coat of Hopes on it's departure

A Cry for the Coat of Hopes

Oyez! Oyez! Oyez!

Pilgrims of this Good Earth, please hear what I say,

As a message of hope leaves Newhaven today,

And to Glasgow will surely make its way.

The blue heart of our world is broken,

Its old Green Man lies unwell,

Our planet is burning,

Its wild heart is dying,

As we near the last toll of the bell.

But we’ll continue to fight for this wild world,

To protect all its life, old and new,

And we’ll stand, shout and march here together,

And prove what has always been true –

That commitment and love shall win through.

People of Newhaven,

let us stand with every community on the planet

in supporting the message that the Coat of Hopes

takes to the world leaders at COP 26.

God Bless the Coat of Hopes.

Peace and love to the world.

God Save The Queen.

+ Way Words 2: A second Cry for the Coat of Hopes

from it's celebration and rededication walk

also by Town Crier of Newhaven

**A Cry for the Coat of Hopes II

Oyez! Oyez! Oyez!

Pilgrims, friends, please hear what I say,

As we gather, once more, in Newhaven today,

And shortly to Lewes we’ll make our way.

We last stood together on this very spot on Monday 30th August 2021, when all thoughts and ambitions were north to Glasgow. You, Pilgrims, carried the Coat of Hopes on your shoulders, and gave its message to the world.

That journey ended in Glasgow, but that ending is where we start from.

Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.

Thank you all, for gathering, in peace and in love, to celebrate the achievements of The Coat of Hopes. As we walk today, let us make time to talk, think and reflect on this Good Earth, and what each of us can continue to do to stop climate change. The work of the Coat of Hopes is far from over.

And please, all give three cheers for the wonderful artist and human, who gathered us all here today, and who created the Coat of Hopes….

Three cheers for Barbara – Hip, Hip Hooray x 3.

God Bless the Coat of Hopes.

And God Bless all Pilgrims who stand up for this Good Earth.

Peace and Love to the World, God Save the Queen.

+ Way Words 3: Poems from the Journey by Iszi Jones

Iszi wrote a poem a day during her walk here are some from close to the end of our pilgrimage

Moffat

We are walking on sacred ground

Land sacred in stories

sunk deep in stone and soil

Concepts of creation calling us to care

To learn to love our Eden

Legends linking us to long-forgotten lessons

From all parts of these islands

Like Branwen and Beddigeidfran from Mabinogion

And science stories summoned from colleges and schools

So let's walk like giants for girls who are grieving

Let's call new legends from this land

Carried to COP by a Coat of Hopes

Spoken and sung by striding pilgrims

Bravely bearing the burden of truth

Lesmahagow

I found a beetle larva in a striped snail shell

A bright green caterpillar

Flowers of tormentil in late October

Bright rowan berries, purple alder leaves and rainbows

We were given shelter and song by a Krishna community

Watched a young person dance in the Coat

An older man spoke of his wife's recent passing

And the police came in their multitudes

To hear us singing

Blantyre

The lights on the Blantyre Miners Club dance floor

Could in no way match the glory

Of the golden halls of maple

And copper autumn beech

In Avon valley

But pilgrims shone bright in both settings

And the message of love

Floats down gently and persistently

Like falling leaves

Glasgow

We were introduced by the mc

As the Casino to COP

It always was a bit of a gamble

But we made it to Glasgow

So I think it paid off.

And although the final march was temporarily delayed

By the flat batteries on the Serpent of Capitalism

We will never let the tired old systems

Hold us back for long.

As pilgrims we have learned how to find new paths

And the throw of the dice

Holds no fear for us

In the face of the unknown

We have learned to be strong.

People keep saying

That the Coat of Hopes

Should be in a museum

I am glad to have played a small part in

The creation of a timeless work of art

But I do keep wondering

As the centuries pass

Will there still be museums

Or will someone be able

To get it onto the ark?

But these bright glowing squares

Outshine all my cares

I'm sure future Noah

Will have spaces to spare

For any person who wears

This coat

And, if it comes to that,

Also for Barbara's hat.

Having completed my pilgrimage

The cold stone of the Glasgow street on which I died

Felt more comfortable

Than any I have expired on before;

With you, dear pilgrims

Loss becomes bearable.

+ Way Words 4: Prayer

A Prayer of Blessing and Thanksgiving for the Coat on the day of celebration

by Rev Helen Burnet

With the waves lapping at our feet and the tide carrying us into a new flow; we give thanks for the many blessings already received from the coat of hopes, and by all who brought this beautiful project into being.

Together we bless the coat as it embarks upon a new voyage and creates a new wave of hope . May all who see, touch, feel, wear, glimpse, craft, nurture and bear this coat cherish all that is represented here in this fabric, in these imaginings, in this community and honour all that surrounds us and dwells in us both material and spiritual.

May the new phase of work of the coat echo the wideness and welcome of the waves lapping at it’s tails as it embodies the generosity and vision of our dear Barbara. With the wideness of the sea spreading out behind us, may the wideness of this Coat go before us into a future full of new landscapes, new conversations, and new initiatives that will echo and repeat the determination of the waves to keep on lapping at our feet and urging us onwards in a journey of hope that honours the sacred in all things and draws goodness into our beautiful but broken world.