Only the sea can cry and sing at the same time

[anteros_lmc]

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

Comments

[eglantine-br.livejournal.com]

Oh wow. This is splendid. She is another islander, too. Like us.

My first thought was that she is someone who understands the ocean. The poem made me think about the way it feels that it is taking your troubles and your joy into itself and never noticing because it is so huge, and you are small. You are a tiny warm thing, on the edge of a big cold unknowable force-- and that is ok.

It is just fine to be small little mammal at the water's edge. When you are there you don't have to be bigger than you are.

At least that is what it made me think of.

Her voice is gorgeous. I always like to hear a poet read their own work. It helps me try to understand it.

Thank you for this. It is perfect.

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Oh I'm so glad you like this! I came across this recording months ago and as soon as I heard it I knew it had to be for you, especially as she is an islander :) She really does understand doesn't she? I love the way that the vastness of the sea is such a forceful reminder of our insignificance, but at the same time it connects us all together.

Something about the feeling that this poem evokes also reminds me of Norman McCaig's beautiful poem Small Boy.

[nodbear.livejournal.com]

Both poems marvellous - I love the name of the plover too in her vocabulary !