Only the sea can cry and sing at the same time
Dearest eglantine_br I'm so sorry I'm late with this birthday greeting. I seem to permanently late these days. I should take a leaf out of Lord Chatham's book and call myself The Late Lady Anteros :}
Anyway here's a poem I've been saving for you. It's called Discontinuity, it's by the Shetland poet Christine De Luca and written in her native Shetlandic tongue but I've added an English translation. It looks pretty incomprehensible written down but, oh, just listen to the poet reading it here.
Discontinuity
I could blame da wye da sea is smoothed
da stanes; da sylk o touch; da waelin, laevin;
an will da haert be dere whin I come back?
Or I could blame da saandiloo. He wis clear
whit wye ta geng: dis wye noo, nae luikin
owre your shooder. Tide dusna wait;
see da wye da swill o joy is drained.
Dance daday. Damoarn you slip
inta eternity.
Or I could blame da hush at fills you
til you’re lik ta burst wi aa da wirds
at could be said but you hadd back.
Hit’s whit happens whan you step
in time, but sense a fault-line vimmerin
trowe you: dis side or dat?
Only da sea can greet an sing at da sam time:
shade an licht: cobalt, ultramarine an dan
da lönabrak - a tize, a frush o whicht.
I could blame the wide sea that smoothed
the stones; the silk of touch; the selecting, leaving;
and will the heart be here when I come back?
Or I could blame the ringed plover. He was clear
which way to go: this way now, no looking
over your shoulder. Tide doesn't wait
see the way the swell of joy is drained.
Dance today. Tomorrow you slip
into eternity.
Or I could blame the hush that fills you
till you're like to burst with all the words
that could be said but you held back.
It's what happens when you step
in time; but sense a fault line trembling
through you: this side or that?
Only the sea can cry and sing at the same time:
shade and light: cobalt, ultramarine and then the surge,
the temptation, a splutter of white.
I hope you had a good birthday and hopefully the Christmas / Birthday jollyboat will reach you soon. A x
Anyway here's a poem I've been saving for you. It's called Discontinuity, it's by the Shetland poet Christine De Luca and written in her native Shetlandic tongue but I've added an English translation. It looks pretty incomprehensible written down but, oh, just listen to the poet reading it here.
Discontinuity
I could blame da wye da sea is smoothed
da stanes; da sylk o touch; da waelin, laevin;
an will da haert be dere whin I come back?
Or I could blame da saandiloo. He wis clear
whit wye ta geng: dis wye noo, nae luikin
owre your shooder. Tide dusna wait;
see da wye da swill o joy is drained.
Dance daday. Damoarn you slip
inta eternity.
Or I could blame da hush at fills you
til you’re lik ta burst wi aa da wirds
at could be said but you hadd back.
Hit’s whit happens whan you step
in time, but sense a fault-line vimmerin
trowe you: dis side or dat?
Only da sea can greet an sing at da sam time:
shade an licht: cobalt, ultramarine an dan
da lönabrak - a tize, a frush o whicht.
I could blame the wide sea that smoothed
the stones; the silk of touch; the selecting, leaving;
and will the heart be here when I come back?
Or I could blame the ringed plover. He was clear
which way to go: this way now, no looking
over your shoulder. Tide doesn't wait
see the way the swell of joy is drained.
Dance today. Tomorrow you slip
into eternity.
Or I could blame the hush that fills you
till you're like to burst with all the words
that could be said but you held back.
It's what happens when you step
in time; but sense a fault line trembling
through you: this side or that?
Only the sea can cry and sing at the same time:
shade and light: cobalt, ultramarine and then the surge,
the temptation, a splutter of white.
I hope you had a good birthday and hopefully the Christmas / Birthday jollyboat will reach you soon. A x