A Poet's Blog: Roger N.Taber shares his thoughts & poems...

Thoughts and observations by English poet Roger N. Taber, a retired librarian and poet-novelist.- "Ethnicity, Religion, Gender, Sexuality ... these are but parts of a whole. It is the whole that counts." RNT [NB While I have no wish to create a social network, I will always reply to critical emails about my poetry. Contact: rogertab@aol.com].

Name:
Location: London, United Kingdom

Sadly, a bad fall in 2012 has left me with a mobility problem, and being diagnosed with prostate cancer the same year hasn't helped, but I get out and about with my trusty walking stick as much as I can, take each day as it comes and try to keep looking on the bright(er) side of life. Many of my poems reflect the need to nurture a positive-thinking mindset whatever life throws at us.

Saturday 7 July 2012

7/7 Remembered (Two poems)

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

Update [March 26 2016] There have been other terrorist atrocities around the world since I posted this poem and our thoughts including close to home in France and Belgium. Our thoughts have to be with the dead and injured, their families and friends. Inevitably, though, our we cannot help but wonder, where next? Wonder, yes, it is only natural, but we cannot let ourselves brood on the question or let it dominate our thoughts, dictate how we get on with our lives.  If terrorism exploits the very worst of human nature, the human condition itself is better and stronger than that which is why the love, peace and goodness in this world - and we only have to look around to see there is more of it than the media often suggest - will always triumph over any hate, wars and predilection for sheer evil.]

Today marks the anniversary of  London terrorist bombings in July 2005. My close friend (and cameraman) Graham and I were asked some time ago if we would film the 7/7 memorial in Hyde Park especially for a friend of someone who died in the terrorist attacks in London on July 7th 2005. He lives and works abroad and has been unable to visit the memorial. He has also read the poems and asked me to read them.  Yesterday, I uploaded our efforts to You Tube. Hopefully, no one will find either poems or video intrusive:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBo01eRFB

Yes, anniversaries have an important place in the public consciousness. Yet, for anyone caught up in the events of that awful day and/or directly affected by its terrible consequences, every day that passes is a day of remembrance. Our thoughts should be with them as well the fifty-two people for whom the memorial was created.

We can but try to move on whenever tragedy strikes, although moving on doesn't (ever) mean we leave anyone behind.


REMAINS OF THE DAY

Memory, smoke and screams
that left fifty-two fine people dead,
forever haunting our dreams

Innocence ripped at the seams,
where terrorism rears its ugly head;
Memory, smoke and screams

Despair takes all or so its seems
where hope on its heels often misled,
forever haunting our dreams

Where light but faintly gleams
that tracks the everyday hero’s tread;
Memory, smoke and screams

See inhumanity’s dark schemes
leave its enemies free if badly scarred,
forever haunting our dreams

Faith’s dark side, no love redeems,
its Heaven, even to its martyrs barred;
Memory, smoke and screams,
forever haunting our dreams

Copyright R. N. Taber 2011


YEARS ON

Let us all remember, years on,
all those cruelly snatched away
one summer's day in London

Come life's battles lost and won 
no terror shall (ever) win the day;
let us all remember, years on

A mother, father, daughter, son,
calling on Memory its part to play
one summer's day in London

Wherever terror's rage has gone
humanity, too, will ever have a say;
let us all remember, years on

If terror, it would target everyone,
for love alone did Earth Mother pray
one summer's day in London

Love, if sorely tried and put upon,
will always find a way, beside us stay;
let us all remember, years on,
one summer's day in London

Copyright R. N. Taber 2007, 2019

[Note: an earlier version of this poem appears in Accomplices to Illusion by R. N. Taber, Assembly Books, 2007; consequently, it is not the version that accompanies the video.]




Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home