Nature/Animal Poems

Poem of the Week for January 1st 2008

Cliff and Man

On the West Coast of Ireland, abutting the rampaging Atlantic Ocean, are the spectacular Cliffs of Moa.

From a dizzying height they plummet, sheer, to the rocky depths below, which are painted an ever-changing white by the pounding waves.

The shapes of the cliffs combine with the force of the ocean's winds to create massive air currents in which the seagulls and sea birds play for hours.

The only way to look safely at this magical scene was to crawl on my belly and to peer down into the tantalising depths. The urge to jump (to fly!) was overwhelming, and both mind and body had to stay very much in control if this were not to be the last magnificent thing I ever saw!

This poem is about the struggle between Siren Nature, Man, Mind, and Vision.

Cliff and Man

The cliff-edge beckoned:
asked him to walk near,
dared him to stand on edge;

but he tricked Her,
approached on cat feet
and buckled
his own length away -
slid his body forward;
safely moved his Seeing
over.

And She, laughing, made him swim,
stretched him in Her space,
dragged his mind’s laceworks
down the rock-mossed edges of depth,
reeled him down Her sides and ledges,
Yo Yo’d his Eye
and down and distantly
roared at him with Her Sea.

He wrestled with Her offering,
warped his tiny space.

Engulfed Her.

So She flung him Her Earth-Bird
Seagull
who wrung his Mind
to Ecstasy:
rode the Funnel
of Her Deepness,
feathered the winds that shoved him
still on that cliff edge,
Swept any Curve
Stilled any Wind-Rush
Dropped in any Air Rise;
erased ledge and edgeness for him
drew him
drew him out

The engulfer

Engulfed.