Sleepers Wake!

Though Tom was fond of Evensong

And welcomed God’s Good News,

He found the sermons rather long

And sometimes had a snooze.

He sat amidst a friendly group,

All righteous and alert

Who, if they saw Tom’s eyelids droop,

Would gently tug his shirt.

One Sunday after Trinity

(Which one Tom wasn’t sure)

The sermon, like infinity,

Droned on for evermore.

In spite of gentle tugs, Tom snoozed

Long past the sermon’s end,

And everyone was too amused

To wake their sleeping friend.

Come lock-up time just Tom remained, Slumped snoring in his pew.

The vicar, keen to leave, looked pained

And wondered what to do.

His organist piped up to say

“Bach works, make no mistake!

With all the stops pulled out, I’ll play

One blast of Sleepers Wake!”

It worked! Tom woke and went his way

So friends, take this as read:

Attend to all that vicars say

Or suffer Bach instead!