LEGACY

LEGACY

Mother’s memories crackle, crystallise and coalesce
entangled in familiarity and days-end prayer
and flesh out well-known bones of oft told tales
to make a man for me to love

A restless reckless man
who hullaballooed down hairpin-riddled hills
amid the war free carefree days
in a red and rollicking rooster of a car
to the singing swaggering inns of Wales

A loving gentle man
who framed a kiss-me face in miner’s hands
while fear-strained peace hopes upped and fled
and tough and tender wooed and wed his willing lass
in cool cathedral mountain ferns

A brave and gallant man
who, smiling, shoulder slung a sailor’s sack of hope
in the proud and patriotic duty days
to test his pit man’s mettle on the sour and sullen seas,
and save his wife, his Wales, his world.

A tearful frightened man
who woke fear-slimed and shrieking from his dreams
in pitiful shore-leaves meant to heal
and in the sobs of his sick and once-seen son
heard blazing screams in ice-bound seas.

A careless luckless man
who eased his guard in safe and sheltered sunlit seas
Caribbean cradled close by the shore;
who, laughing, failed to spot the lethal sharking shape
which shattered peace and skin and bone.

And I shall learn to love this man
Though speaking ‘father’ snags my tongue
And all his substance but a mother’s memory gift
Seeking a son’s echoes among the prayers:
Her imagery is my legacy, nevertheless:
Good night, God bless.