Lament for a Tyler
There’s a Brother outside the Lodge tonight,
Does anyone know his name?
I think his last names Tyler, or something that sounds the same,
It doesn’t look like the same bloke that was there before,
Has he been a naughty boy and made to stand outside the door?
No, came the reply, he stands guard, it says so in the blue book,
He’s got a sword you know; I often have a look,
He dresses up the candidates and other stuff like that,
He say’s some words at the end of the meal as we have a chat.
Some Brothers get it easy, nothing much to do,
It’s not like holding office in the Lodge, just like me and you,
That reminds me,
I will have to have a word with the bloke that puts the collars out,
Mine was wrong, I could see, beyond a shadow of a doubt.
Funnily enough, I did hear say that it’s not the normal Brother,
He’s standing in, for a while; it’s rumoured, the other one has a sick Mother,
They asked me if I’d do it, I said I’d rather not,
I want to do something useful than be out of everyone’s earshot,
The Installations looming and a Rep will be about,
I’m hoping for promotion or at least be in with a shout.
No one new the Tyler had died,
Until the Brethren ensconced inside,
The Lodge room all in disarray,
No Banner out and on display,
Nowhere to stand the wands,
No tracing boards, where have they gone?
And what’s that book, that’s not ours?
And where’s the water without the flowers?
Some remarked from their ivory towers.
Should we call off too sort it out, now we are all inside,
Some remarked, “It’s a mess, which I cannot abideâ€,
The forgotten Tyler? I’d say so, out of site and out of mind,
A bit like the lone soldier, who got left behind,
A lesson learned? Probably not,
As time moves on members forgot,
These things don’t happen on their own,
Remember that foundation stone,
Remember never being alone,
Remember on that night when you first joined,
Outside the door of the Lodge with the Brother,
Who looked after you just like a Mother,
Encouraging and supporting, worrying and reporting, to the Brethren inside the Lodge.
He’s the one without whom; you wouldn’t have a Tyled room,
The Lodge laid out to please you all,
In front of Reps so you can walk tall,
It doesn’t end there but don’t despair,
When you’ve all gone home,
The Tyler puts it all away, until another meeting day.
The dear Brother departed to be remembered,
Had been Tyler of the Lodge for many years,
His name was Jack, Tom, Dick or Ken it could have even been Peers,
No-one could remember when or how long he’d been in the Lodge,
He had lived alone for an awful long time, the job of Tyler never dodged,
Carried out with regularity on every meeting day,
Sadly now he’s gone away,
To the Grand Lodge Above, Tyled by St. Peter for all time,
I wonder if He can relate to this rhyme.
So Brethren of the Mystic Tie, when the night is waning fast,
Although the Tyler says, “Our work is done the feast is o’re these words must be our last,
Do give a thought to your Tyler’s, out of site and out of mind,
He’s probably up in the Temple picking up what you left behind.
By W.Bro. Andy Waters (Editor IMPS)
Sunday January 2nd 2011
