christmas table

christmas table
      to June Le Baige

The ‘bright miles’ at Ahipara waiting to carry you…. taken before the Weathercats were even raindrops

at the edge
miles of sea
windless or windy
in the hard sun
or brimming
cave of
the moon

your table
this year
was leaner
than ever
a call at the
door
a couple
of friends
a nephew
and cups of
tea you
struggled
to pour

making slow
progress
with your
walker
across the
kitchen floor
stamped across
with sun
wondering
if any easy
thing is
left
apart
the going…

the bright
miles out there
are waiting

a table
of all
your finest
your own
the others
before you
done up
in memory
men of
trains
men of
arms
and the
land
touch on
you like
shadow
on your
stiffened
shoulder

beijing
december 2009

Copyright ©2020 Peter Le Baige.  All Rights Reserved

The music is from the Welsh hymn ‘Ar hyd y nos’ (All through the Night) as performed by the Welsh singer Meinir Gwilym (can be found on Youtube)