Saturday 9 October 2010

Catching the Poetry Bus.

We are asked to take a news story and expand on it. So here goes with my effort:-

The headline: One of the last surviving British members of the International Brigade who fought in the Spanish Civil War has died in his late nineties.

Luggage.

In my hand luggage
I carried
the pain of Guernica,
the suffering of the people,
the death of comrades.

In my baggage
I carried
the reasons why,
the solidarity,
the dashed hopes.

But on the carousel
they all go round
and round
for there is no-one left
to know
or care.

16 comments:

The Solitary Walker said...

Moving, and beautifully, starkly understated, Pat. The content dictates the form. As you said the other day.

Unknown said...

Yes, some carried that baggage for years. Perhaps it is a blessing finally to lay down the load? No-one will want to reclaim it.

Heather said...

Your response to that story in the press is succinct but is still very moving and beautiful.

Cloudia said...

Wow.


A solid little piece!




Warm Aloha from Waikiki

Comfort Spiral

Cassiopeia Rises said...

Just love your poetry and your whole blog. Well done my friend.


Melanie

Caroline Gill said...

I agree with the Solitary Walker - well said! 'Carousel' is such a clever word here, with the imagery it conjures up.

Jeannette StG said...

I like this Weaver! So many of us carry dashed hopes in our baggage (in our private little wars).

Peter Goulding said...

Incredibly succinct yet moving. This really was the forgotten atrocity, lying in the shadow of the holocaust to follow.

Gerry Snape said...

Weaver...a super piece and in such few words the whole emotion. Love it!

Titus said...

Wonderful, Weaver. Your war poems always have empathy, authority and gravitas, and this is no exception.
One to reflect on, long and hard.

Karen said...

This is beautiful and insightful, Pat. It reminds me, in concept, of Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried about soldiers in Viet Nam.

martine said...

this was the thing that caught my eye too. I love your version of the story.
thanks for sharing
martine

Louise said...

Very moving, it grabbed me from the very beginning.

NanU said...

Beautifully intense. Some baggage we can't bear to take with us, can't bear to set down. Let us not forget.

The Bug said...

I love this - sitting here going "wow." That image of the bags going around and around with no one to pick them up - very poignant.

Totalfeckineejit said...

One of your best Weaver. Well done!