Diverged

Our paths diverged
we did not meet again
Your face remains etched
on my memory

Dragged down
by an obscure affliction
that few have heard of
let alone us

Your kindness was
unwavering
even down the phoneline
that last time we spoke

Only once more
would you cross
the sea west
to watch the sun set

Where the owl flew
where you saw
for a final time
the gentle hills and green valleys

You are not gone
for as long as those
you knew and loved
remember

And even beyond that time
the hills and moors
the dunes and beaches
the forests and streams

They will remember you

Rainbow

Arcing high
at the moment of sunset
the sign of the covenant
rearing up east

Fractured
through refraction
echoed
in silent multitudes

Ablaze in the west
at the minute of sunset
dappled in gold
reds and amber

Clouds and raindrops
a canvas and backdrop
for endless permutations
of colours and hues

For only a few moments
until the rainbow fades
from zenith to horizon
taking its colours with it

For only a few moments
until the clouds fade
into the grey of dusk
and disappear into the night

Empire of Stone

In the Empire of Stone
A stone ribbon
threads through
heather-clad stone

In the Empire of Stone
A rivulet sings
a stoney song
on its never-ending cascade

In the Empire of Stone
a wreath of golden sand
wraps below the green sward
lining the ancient hills

In the Empire of Stone
hearts were broken
on unforgiving rock
where lives foundered

In the Empire of Stone
rocky inlets
lined by distant homesteads
on the eastern shore

In the Empire of Stone
where rocks roll
small and large
up and down the hills

In the Empire of Stone
rearing up to the sky
the tallest peaks
in these outer isles

Although clouds may lower
to shroud its distant beauty
Chi mi'n Tir
the Empire of Stone