This one is heavy. The month has been heavy, I feel; both personally and in the wider field. Those who read last Sunday's post will know my drift. The poem below was composed after waking up that long-ago November morning due to the sound of sirens over Edinburgh. In the wee, small hours of the morning... not ambulance or police or fire - of which there are plenty which go past the father's place... no, these were full on air-raid-style.
WWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO..AAAAAWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAA....WWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
I recall being paralysed to the bed. Could scarcely breath. Listened for the sound of planes. Never came. A day later, in the Scotsman, we were told not to panic. ???!!! "A spokeswoman at the Home Office... said that 'BT was checking a carrier control unit in Edinburgh. This is believed to have malfunctioned causing the alarm to go off'." All the sirens were, at that time, on top of the police duty boxes - which no longer exist of course. (Think Dr Who.)
It took me right back into childhood in the early 1960s when the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) was at its height arguing against the placement of USA's cruise missiles on British land... and, even then, I knew myself to be a pacifist. This poem was as much about that little girl from the 60s, as the one who was scared witless on that morning in the 80s, and the same who is hearing echoes here and now, in the twenty teens...
WWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO..AAAAAWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAA....WWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
I recall being paralysed to the bed. Could scarcely breath. Listened for the sound of planes. Never came. A day later, in the Scotsman, we were told not to panic. ???!!! "A spokeswoman at the Home Office... said that 'BT was checking a carrier control unit in Edinburgh. This is believed to have malfunctioned causing the alarm to go off'." All the sirens were, at that time, on top of the police duty boxes - which no longer exist of course. (Think Dr Who.)
It took me right back into childhood in the early 1960s when the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) was at its height arguing against the placement of USA's cruise missiles on British land... and, even then, I knew myself to be a pacifist. This poem was as much about that little girl from the 60s, as the one who was scared witless on that morning in the 80s, and the same who is hearing echoes here and now, in the twenty teens...
There is nothing more overwhelming than being so very frightened when young and vulnerable.
ReplyDeleteHugs to you Yam Aunty
that was very touching.... it's not easy to be young.....
ReplyDeleteOh how this brings it all back, so vividly, the childhood fears of nuclear war.
ReplyDeleteBut who would have predicted, in the 1960s or 80s, the threats we face now? An example from recent personal experience: Could we have imagined, at the height of the Cold War, a trip to St Petersburg, a city which now feels prosperous and relatively free, and also felt safe until a terrorist from Kyrgystan (no longer part of the former Soviet Union) decided to commit mass murder on the metro, in the name of Islam?
Wishing you a peaceful and troubles free weekend.
Gail.
Hello, it was a scary time for us in US during the Cuba missile crisis. I remember having the drills in elementary school. We had to go under our desk. With our current president I am back to being scared. I wish for peace in the world. Happy Friday, enjoy your weekend!
ReplyDeleteWow, that is heavy indeed. But sometimes we need to be heavy and look at heavy. Mom says she thinks heavy times are ahead of us. We must enjoy our lighter times!
ReplyDeleteYour Pals,
Murphy & Stanley
We're in the midst of difficult times that we couldn't imagine not that long ago. I try to keep my focus on the beauty that is given today and how I might even add to that in some small way.
ReplyDeleteHugs from across the pond. I continue to resist. Namaste Janice xx
ReplyDeleteThis is so powerful. I understand your feelings.
ReplyDeleteWe've had such horrid incidents. Fire in Toronto yesterday, more white terrorists, Brexit, Trumpism, North Korea.
We have to pick our battles, and focus on what we can change, I suppose.
That, and walking meditation, for me. xx