Thursday, 24 November 2011

Monolith, Co. Clare

When I was in Ireland in 2005 I had a rather unnerving experience next to a monolith. Now going through some old papers I was reminded of it.

When

I
stood
alone and gazed

In
deepest
thought

And
in the fog

Before
The Stone
upon the heath

A
field
of energy

Entered
my space

And
all at once

There

At
my side

Was
the ghostly

Specter

Of

A
giant beast

Now
come
to pass

A
stream
of
w
a
t
e
r

and
having
done so

it
s
l
o
w
l
y

turned

and
left me

with

a
plaintive
m
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

so
deep

and
long
.
.
.

'twas
the somber tone
of its great fog-horn


9 comments:

  1. I loved this Gwilym - it really made me laugh. It is the kind of thing that happens on the farm all the time. I don't think the beast was contemplating the monolith I think it was curious about you - but then you never know.

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  2. I'm glad it made you laugh. We need to have a laugh now and then. It was eerie though the two of us standing there in the mist before the monolith - perhaps they use it as a scratching post I thought later.

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  3. A different sort of 'x' marks the spot? lol

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  4. Thanks Jinksy and John. It's in Co. Clare and somewhere remote.

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  5. Yes Gwil - interesting how you have changed it. I forgot to say last time that I do like the shape of the poem - so fitting for the title. It reminded me of Edwin Morgan's poem Heron, which is long and thin, like the heron and does definitely add to the attraction of the poem.

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  6. Thanks Pat, so now it's longer and thinner as you will know from your farm experience its the shape that matters ;)

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  7. ps - I shall visit the heron - thanks for the tip

    ReplyDelete
  8. Pat, have now given it a Morgan-Wordsworthian beat ;)

    ReplyDelete

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