The Unaltered

 

 She’s stood unaltered for thirty years, must, as a child

have played games amongst those armoured tanks,

such vehicles must have lined the July alleys

of her teens, only withdrawing in her early twenties.

 Did she dream in the litter of adolescent magazines,

 that her lifelong love would be a Loyalist?

 Or did she think, she’d marry some dark-featured,

 gold-chained Catholic,  muscled toned form labour?

I imagine she didn’t consider who to love at all.

This weekend, as I saw whole ‘British’ streets taped off,

With blue and white striped cordons, cars searched,

Especially, I was told later, those with Catholic names,

And children almost mown down by the police service,

I knew I’d never understand. But always she only gazed

 at a country spinning faster, saw  green and orange,  

red, white and blue become one and shrugging

said, “but that’s the way I’ve seen this nation all along.”

Reviews

[Emily B]

Your words brought to mind these by Emily Dickinson:

ALTER? When the hills do.
Falter? When the sun
Question if his glory
Be the perfect one.
Surfeit? When the daffodil
Doth of the dew:
Even as herself, O friend!
I will of you!

And her words may have very little to do with yours. But wouldn't it be nice to live in a world that was partially color blind. Children wouldn't be judged by the color of their skin. Nobody would be concerned with caste or political or religious affiliations.

We will see that world someday. In the meantime, I hope your friend remains unaltered.

[Donald Meikle]

Thirty years of insanity, and still she stands unchanged. Seeing more than I could without turning a blind eye. and all due to a king thinking with his other head!

[AK]

Ah Sel, if only...
If only so many things could be different we would surely make them so. If only we could reach beyond traditions and make a difference to one another without respect to which side of the barricade we live on.
But I think that won't happen entirely in this time. Not in this time... but soon.
Your writing always amazes me, always!

[W.k.kortas]

In the clang and clatter of large issues and platforms and slogans, it's easy to lose sight of the notion that thousands--millions, even--of people lead (and simply desire to lead) ordinary lives. This is a portrait of an everday life, but the poem is far from run-of-the-mill. It is lyrical, and vividly visual, and it lifts the ordinary to a higher plane. Needless to say, it takes more than an ordinary writer to pull this off.

[Phibby Venable]

a beautiful acceptance of the unacceptable...excellent.