A poem written during the covid 19 lockdown when I was unable to visit my elderly, vulnerable parents and my childhood home. Imagining the day that I would be able to make that journey and shout ‘Rwy’n Gartfef!’ (I’m Home!) as I walked through the front door. Taking time to remember and celebrate memories from my childhood.
At the beach, I am free:
I throw off my shoes,
feel the sun dappled sand between my toes.
Stand and breathe deeply.
Listen to the waves crashing against the cliffs.
Shells tossed by the tide,
scattered treasures of years gone by
lead me to the water’s edge.
I close my eyes, inhale deeply:
savour those memories.
I rejoice at the salty smell of the ocean spray:
dancing, swirling, sloshing around my legs.
The wind tugs my hair from its band
to dance wildly as in youth.
I can hear children laughing,
splashing in the shallows,
sending water over the shivering shilly-shalliers.
Calling to one another,
then screeching as they
plunge through the waves
and dive into the cold sea.
Memories wrap around me like an old blanket.
Rwy’n gartref. I am home.
I 🧡 your evocative descriptions of your relationship with Rwy’n gartref in this poem and in the companion piece you wrote subsequently:
https://descriptosaurus.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Rwyn-Gartref.pdf
I thought the juxtaposition of your serene contemplation:
I close my eyes, inhale deeply:
savour those memories.
with nature battling for your attention:
the ocean spray:
dancing, swirling, sloshing around my legs.
The wind tugs my hair from its band
to dance wildly as in youth.
was particularly effective.
What a powerful motivation for writing a memoir poem! I hope your parents are well. Did you share this with them? 🧡
I did share the poem with them. Led to many stories about who the shivering shilly-shalliers were and family days at the beach. They found the wild hair particularly amusing. It did also make them realize how fond I am of my childhood home and the wonderful memories.
This is magic. 😍
We often hear of how powerful it is for people to read the written word of their ancestors. I’ve rarely heard of this kind of special exchange. Thank you for sharing. 🧡
It was an interesting conversation. My mum’s insight was amazing. She said she got the feeling that the beach was somewhere I felt free because the ‘wild’ part of me felt unrestrained. She also mentioned that my wild hair was also a symbol for the ‘free spirit’ inside.