Cornish Poems

CORNWALL EXPLORED

Coastline, rocky, rugged, proud,

Crumbling cliffs in ozone shroud,

Sun-kissed drifts of desert sand,

Golden frame of a sea cradled land.

Fishing village, atmospheric hub,

Brass band playing, outside quaint old pub,

Boats, all sizes, rest near harbour wall,

Wading birds sift through tide-filled pool.

Foliage explosion of a Cornish hedge,

Country lanes snake, and young birds fledge,

Ruminants, punctuating, quilted hill,

Buzzards soar and wise hares are still.

Tin mine engine house, towering stack,

Roof caved in, gorse and bracken’s back,

White clay peak, geometrical and sleek,

Earth’s riches gouged, canyon deep.

Moor-land, open, untamed, granite strewn,

Wild ponies dance to a skylark’s tune,

Tor and beacon, barrow and mound,

You’re in God’s own country,

When you walk this ground.

LICHEN LADEN GRANITE CROSS

Lichen laden, granite cross,

Reminder of a Celtic culture’s loss,

An icon to placate a harsh deity,

A religious symbol, an outward plea.

Laden cross, granite lichen,

Not a mere whim, but a deliberate decision,

Ley-line power, here to focus,

Awaiting another mid-summer solstice.

Granite cross, lichen laden,

Sculptured for a dark-haired maiden,

Elaborate and ultimate statement of love,

A prayer for a union to be blessed from above.

Cross, lichen laden, granite

Manufactured on a far off planet,

Crafted and left to become immortal,

Marker of a time traveller’s portal.

CORNISH SHORE

The Cornish shore …

Where golden sand lies next

To dappled grey granite rock,

Where the sea breeze sweeps

And the mussels flock,

Where the rock pools gather

And the small crabs patrol,

Where the white foam curls

And the breakers roll,

Where the sea birds call

And the salt spray stings,

Where the seaweed sunbathes

And the limpet clings,

Where a stream’s course meanders,

And reflects the azure sky,

Where a starfish gazes skywards

And white clouds go scudding by.

By all means take treasured memories,

But please take nothing more,

And leave nothing but your footprints

On this sacred Cornish shore …