Artist

Alexander Averin

Friday 16 September 2011

A Sad Day



Dear Diary,

Try never to count the days,try instead to make the days count.

It is a sad day here in Wales as we have now heard that the fourth missing miner has now been found dead so that is now all four men who have tragically lost their lives as a result of flood water underground.

All over the country everyone's thoughts and hearts are with the bereaved families of the men whose lives were lost.

May God rest their souls.

Just a poem tonight and it seems to fit the mood.


Amber


It never mattered that there was once a vast grieving:
trees on their hillsides, in their groves, weeping—
a plastic gold dropping
through seasons and centuries to the ground—
until now.


On this fine September afternoon from which you are absent
I am holding, as if my hand could store it,
an ornament of amber
you once gave me.


Reason says this:
The dead cannot see the living.
The living will never see the dead again.


The clear air we need to find each other in is
gone forever, yet
this resin once
collected seeds, leaves and even small feathers as it fell
and fell
which now in a sunny atmosphere seem as alive as
they ever were
as though the past could be present and memory itself


a Baltic honey—
a chafing at the edges of the seen, a showing off of just how much
can be kept safe
inside a flawed translucence.






Eavan Boland

8 comments:

Frances said...

Cait, I had heard this sad news earlier tonight as I listened to BBC radio via my computer.

I also send prayers to the miners' families, and wonder how many future generations will also send their young underground.

Love to you.

Peggy Montano & Paintings said...

Cait, so sorry to hear this sad news. I send caring thoughts to the families.

Vee said...

This is sad news and how deeply wounding it is to your country. May you all support one another and be a great comfort to the families.

CAMILLA said...

This is such sad news Cait, my thoughts and prayers are with the families of the four Miners.

Margie’s daughter Leiny said...

So sad to hear of the loss of 4 fine men. It is indeed a sad day, my thought are with you all in Wales. The poem is poignant. Big hugs, Margie.

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

I read about this over breakfast. So very sad. It's such a hard life for miners. My heart goes out to them all.
Beautiful poem.

ds said...

I am sorry for the loss of those miners; how terrible. My heart goes out to their families.
Eavan Boland is one of my favorites, and her poem is beautifully, poignantly perfect.

e said...

How heartbreaking for those families. Like others here I send comforting thoughts and the lovely poem here puts it best.