Ode to the White Bell

Forthright up you rise ablaze
Yet still with modest pride,
Humbled here we come in praise
To be where you preside.

You reappear, you never tire,
A brighter lamp you raise
Your banner, on a lofted spire,
Just captivates our gaze.

How is it that alone you stand
In multitudes of blue,
Outnumbered in a hostile land
That seeks to conquer you?

Do you with a message bear
To offer us each year,
A precious gem you need to share
A creed we need to hear?

Oh Whitebell, for a while delay,
Before you lose your youth,
If you could but extend your stay
We may yet learn the truth.