A pyramid of light beneath the clouds.
Like any one of us, the tiny boat
Marks out a course beneath the sky -
Vast columns of light, demolished by gloom -
And a leaden expanse, the unmarked time
We memorialise, give value to.
Like any one of us? There is darkness
In the upper field and the sun that lights the sail,
So far away, throws a shadow...
Absurdly tall, my darker self -
Becoming indistinct - reaches behind me.
Already, to your backward glance,
The land looks like a cloud -
Low on the horizon - a drowned depth.
Sae Wylfyng - oh she-wolf-cub -
You are all at sea again. Ellen MacArthur,
Our Ellen of the Waves,
Weeping in the wind that shapes the sail -
Like feeling shapes a word, giving it form,
And edge, a shadow and a tone.
How can you be fted? Death, or the spirit
Of the storm, looking over your shoulder,
Has already said it all. And death sailed a ship
From Sutton How into the underworld.
You know the movement of the hull - that lover
Beneath you - as you guide her
Through the long tunnel of clouds,
The high and roaring gale,
Back to the haven of her mooring -
Her berthing - where she sleeps your sleep.
Karen Eliot, Highfield,
Southampton.
Highly Commended
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article