Sightlines
For John and Liz and the wee ones
…..in your “current abode in Drumee.”
( from John`s “Vignette for Mel”.)
You`d have to feel special here,
Your man Manannan driving a sliver
Of shoulder under his keel to where
On the coast road below the mountain
Street lights at the harbour hasten
South and in daylight you can see the fabled isle itself.
From up on your plateau it`s all go -
A long lane running from the road past graves
Through yards and barns and renovations
Pooling to broaden then narrowing to your door.
But a green river out of roots runs back from there,
Dissolves the concrete world below
Of cars and vans and people, where traffic flow
Ignores the mountain god
Hunched and stuttering at the quarry scar.
On your evening stroll across your ground
To the line of sycamores stoutened
And silvered by wind and time, you must reserve
All imprecations for where else will cluster
Light gathering up the darkness for your feet,
So you can`t see if it issues up or is pouring
Down to unseeable ground,
But saying,”Stay! Stay!”