My eyes are strangely drawn
to distant Ynys Enlli;
focus of fearless Pilgrims,
repose of sleeping Saints,
ageless witness to centuries of faith and hope …

And then, along Y Llŷn,
to the mountains of the north;
the rippling giants of y Gogledd
serenely waiting for Idris to be chaired again …

O, magnificent sweep of Cardigan bay,
so calm your surface appears
yet, teeming below, are
creatures of another world …

… occasionally some break through …

with a splash and a wave
they sneak a look at us,
clothed humans. Then,
having satisfied their curiosity,
quickly return to their natural depths.

Finally, with hiraeth I gaze
at that threadlike stroke of watercolour
where sky and sea caress
with a tranquillity that belies
the swell and the storm …

… what a mystery you are!

The end of our sight,
but not our understanding.
We are aware of the treasures hidden
beyond your space-time curve.

If not our limit,
then you are our challenge:
a hope for one more adventure
before our life-long journey’s end,
or yet …

… a glorious new beginning!

 

© 2017 Graham Oakes: Bwythyn y Banc.