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Tag: Death

A Knife

A Knife

Published by Adrian North on 28 August 2018

I held a knife
Blade shining slick,
Siren singing to my sinful soul
Nordic ground,
Belly round,
Tang full,
Edge sharp
Like yearning
As biting as pain
Steel spine
Cold against my skin
Raising hairs
On my naked arm
Handle of southern Tamboti wood
Red lined
Colour of dried blood, satin smooth
Fragrant spice perfume
Rich to my nostrils,
Warm, sensuous, sinuous,
Like an old lover
Lightly lying in my hand
Oh how I long
To release your gift
And with that favour
Release my own11/02/2017

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Darkness
Ground Zero

Ground Zero

Published by Adrian North on 3 August 2018

What did they feel I wonder?
As they were swept away on that hideous wave.
That same wave that so terribly burnt the names
Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Into our dull consciousness.

Were they afraid, did they feel terror
In those few seconds?
Did they think on their loved ones,
Did they know they were going to die,
Or were they just living their ordinary lives?

Were the children playing in the streets?
Were the mothers shopping, washing, talking?
Were the fathers working as they had always done?
Did they have brothers I wonder
Fighting at the front?

So many died in that instant, in that twinkling of an eye,
All on the orders of a solitary man so far away.
And so many of the undead
Suffered so terribly.
Was it worth it?

And now so many years later
What lessons have we learnt?
Could it ever happen again?
Will so many people die so needlessly
Or can we learn to live in peace?

13/01/1990

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What Memories Will Die
At the grave of James Hogg, The Ettrick Shepherd

At the grave of James Hogg, The Ettrick Shepherd

Published by Adrian North on 9 April 2018

Silent stone word carved
By church and heath
Says so little
Of the soul that lies
Under turf
And sky
What spark was lit
From that mortal frame
And raised
From lowly shepherd
So divine a voice
In this lonely place?

I feel a debt
Of thankfulness
And humility
To this kindred spirit
Whose majesty I feel
Reaching out
As I stand
Before the
Silent stone word carved

19/09/1998

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Sad run my thoughts