Together with the poem Walkin' with Bukowski (below) the poem Forlorn Point (County Wexford) made its debut in Pulsar Poetry no. 44 (December 2005). It was written during a wonderful holiday in Eire in the autumn of 2004. Pulsar editor David Pike, astute as ever, placed the two poems facing each other, on the final double-page of the journal; Bukowski on the left and Wexford on the right.
Forlorn Point (County Wexford)
An oilskinned man
crunches over shells
slithers over seaweed
boot ends a coil of rope
toes over a rag of net
an old scavenger
foraging
in the setting sun.
A cormorant flaps
purposefully sunwards
- an outgoing pterodactyl.
What the man will take
from Forlorn Point
is the echoing note
of the oystercatcher
the gust of wind with salt
in its breath
and the splash of the swell
on the rocks.
_______________________
c) 2004 Gwilym Williams
I like this Gwilym. I agree that placing the two poems facing each other is a masterly stroke. I think you capture the mood of the moment very well - and, in any case, any poem which mentions my favourite bird gets my vote - that call of the oyster catcher is synonymous with broad desolate beaches.
ReplyDeleteI love this 'forlorn' painting, full of textures. Good as a feast for the soul...
ReplyDeleteThat's a coincidence Weaver, the oyster catchers have been my favourite birds since a few of them kept me company with their antics and their flying displays in Scotland about 15 years ago when I was waiting for a ferry.
ReplyDeleteJinksy, a lovely spot is Forlon Point. Nearby attractions include the giant jawbone of a whale on the slope overlooking the bay and some horses galloping on the beach.