Flat on her stomach,
All her limbs aching,
Inch by inch forward she squeezed
Through the long crawl,
That tight wet tunnel,
Not knowing whether,
If she got stuck,
She could ever return
To her home.
Brave girl! Eileen!
Yet the breeze in her face
Told the tale of a cavern beyond,
And spurred her on
Through that limestone worm-hole.
When she broke through
She became the first to witness
The natural wonder of the cloud chamber.
What ecstasy of heaven
Enwrapped her tired frame
And lifted up her eyes
Towards a cloud of stalactites
Formed of a thousand narrow needles
Through many calcifying
Centuries of time.
And she the very first
To enter that uplifting chamber.
Perhaps she thought how deeply
We must burrow to witness
And expose great beauty.
Thanks, Gerry. It was a very inspiring program. I often think of her struggling through that series of tunnels when I'm struggling with a poem. We often struggle with our self-belief but now and again we can all create a piece of magic.
I think these people are very brave...for I myself just couldn't go down into those depths....and a lovely write to go with it... Annette
Can't say I'd do it much either. Too big and clumsy; Actually I'm quite slim but really good at barging into things like lamp-posts, shoppers in a queue, the gondolas in the supermarket. I'd probably cause a cave collapse!
i think i'll stick to writing! ! but! when i was twelve i was a gung-ho spelunker, and it was ME who discovered that darn 'chamber' while on a school field trip! ! but i kept it a secret. it was ALL MINE! ! i DID find a gum wrapper someone had left. believe that? ? bri :)
Ah that's where I dropped it. It left a big hole in my Gum wrapper collection. Obviously I'll make you a decent offer for it, if you've still got it.
That was worth waking up, turning on my computer, typing in 'BIllsborough, ', clicking 'order by date added, ' and selecting this poem. That was really a beautiful piece of writing Tom. Your imagery and metaphor shined here. This poem had a story with suspense...kept me reading and the relationship of caving to worm-holes, heaven, and the larger concept of beauty was well-done. This goes on my favorite list. You certainly have a way!
I saw the programme last night. Enough to put you off caving, although my daughter does a lot in the Pennines. Really the bravery of that girl to tackle that worm-hole. In a sense she must have thought she was in a different Universe when she saw that cavern. i think she was a student at Swansea University which is quite close in South Wales. The drawback is that you have to return the same way! Thanks f
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
Tom u have done well. Really sometimes we discover magic in ourselves... I offer U 10...
Yes, Sriranji. The poem was aimed at members who are a bit nervous about publishing. Hope they take that risk. Others will discover some magic too as we do in your work!