Hi Sally,
I like this poem... the repetitions... the politics... the history... the
mood it creates with the simple language and rhthmns of the words... but I
find the line about the railway line almost bathetic alongside the lament
for the language and the culture I can associate with the castles!
Bob
>From: Sally Evans <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Pennine Poetry Works <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: New: In the Country
>Date: Fri, 8 Mar 2002 17:08:37 +0000
>
>Well, here's a new poem. I said this would happen.
>
>In the Country
>
>The castle has gone
>from the sides of the river,
>it cannot be replaced.
>Caressed by wind and rain
>and buffeted by storm
>the castle has gone
>from the sides of the river.
>
>The Gaelic has gone
>from the sides of the river,
>unvisited by people
>the Gaelic has gone,
>and cannot be replaced.
>The church, the aristocracy,
>always guard the people.
>
>Gone are the Gaelic and castle
>and gone is the railway line.
>And in their place
>are memories like mine.
>
>Sally Evans
>
>(note: we say "the Gaelic" for the old language - and a tory has just
>knocked down the caste in which William Wallace was born. Scottish Heritage
>are furious because you can't just knock castles down without permission.
>Also the church was largely ressponsible for the decline in Gaelic,
>historically. So were the schools, later. These things would be known by
>readers in Scotland for whom this poem is really meant. But you're welcome
>to see if you like it)
_________________________________________________________________
Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com
|