Friday, January 8, 2016

Where this all began...

January 8th

Today has been full on, from visits to goats first thing, via centres for the elderly, to a Farmers' club and a boys' youth club this evening. It's been so interesting and inspiring but we are quite worn out tonight. We cycled a long way in ( of course) the heat of the day and this is always debilitating. So tonight I'm having a small break from blogging and will write tomorrow morning. However I am going to post a poem I wrote yesterday, 7th January, which is the anniversary of the event which was to trigger the founding of the Bishopston Kuppam Link. I hope the poem will be self-explanatory. 

 Women bent double in the paddy fields transplanting rice seedlings.

Tears together shed


Years ago, thirty-eight, a friend reached down into my grief
and lit a path, one candle
better than darkness cursed
to shine and show, small seed sown,
how though the world is wide and far
and language strange, culture and custom odd and surely wrong
so many gods, marriages arranged
a price upon the young bride’s head
still we have seen and known, through friendships grown
hands linked, small phrases learned and shared
stretched to bridge divides
arms in sorrow flung for comfort, tears together shed
and so, this much we know
that difference and distance, wide and far
nothing signify at all.
Put it simply, sing it loud
we are human, undivided, altogether
we are one. 

for Carolyn with love, and I.M Thomas George Whittingham, 30/10/77- 07/01/78.
 

6 comments:

  1. That poem is really moving, Sally. Love reading your blog.
    Chris x

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you both and great to have another response, Chris. So glad you are enjoying reading blog. It is sometimes daunting to sit down and try to recapture a whole day's adventures- so much happens here in a day, so many new experiences and so many emotions- but it really helps me to reflect on what is going on and over the five years of coming here and writing the blog it has proved a really good record.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Sally, you are a very talented, lovely person who gets things done. You deserve an award of some kind although of course that might entail a visit to Buck House but maybe you could sort that lot out too! You keep writing and we will keep reading xx

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sally, you are a very talented, lovely person who gets things done. You deserve an award of some kind although of course that might entail a visit to Buck House but maybe you could sort that lot out too! You keep writing and we will keep reading xx

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ha ha Sheila- I think Buck House might be a step too far! I always say that we have been rewarded so very richly for what we have done here over the years.

    ReplyDelete