Moon Under the Water, a Timely Encounter with Hope

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._N._Taber

I am often asked for a CD of my poetry reading on the 4th plinth in London's Trafalgar Square in 2009 as my contribution to Antony Gormley's One and Other 'live sculpture' project. There are no CDs of participant’s but I have posted a link to mine below. Be warned, though, the whole thing last an hour. (To watch others who took part, simply remove my name from the end of the link and browse.):

http://www.webarchive.org.uk/wayback/archive/20100223121732/oneandother.co.uk/participants/Roger_T [For now, at least, this link needs the latest Adobe Flash Player  and works best in Firefox; the archives website cannot run Flash but changes scheduled for later this year may well mean the link will open without it. Ignore any error message and give it a minute or so to start up. The video lasts an hour. ] RT 3/18

Now, we all have our ups and downs, the latter possibly at their worst after nightfall and in the early hours. As for getting through the darker, rougher, landscapes of life, be sure Hope is on hand even when we feel most abandoned and alone; we have but to acknowledge her...

MOON UNDER THE WATER,  A TIMELY ENCOUNTER WITH HOPE

She strolled as silent as light

to stand by my side;

together we watched moonlight

surf a rolling tide

She took my hand, held it tight,

said not a word

as we watched a jaded starlight

across the water glide

She led me to the water’s edge,

shadows dipping low,

night train sobbing on a bridge

like a war widow

She squeezed my hand, let it go,

trod softly on moonlight,

its sylph-like waves grieving so

for the death of night

She did not call on me to follow

yet I heard her voice

filling a heart left dark and hollow

for given no choice

She sung a song of truth and lies,

urging I live life to the full

where moonlight’s bridge of sighs

gives way to dawn’s chorale

I returned home, day’s light clear

if cheeks stained with tears,

mail train raising a hearty cheer

for the world’s survivors

[From: Tracking the Torchbearer by R. N. Taber, Assembly Books, 2012]