Contemplating.

Contemplating.
Wayzata, Minnesota

Monday, March 11, 2013

The Mag # 159

"I tried to discover, in the rumor of forests and waves, words that other men could not hear, and I pricked up my ears to listen to the revelation of their harmony."  - Gustave Flaubert







Image by Robin Gosnall of Meal Beach, Burra Isle, Shetland
 
 
 
 


EUPHEMIA
 
Across this water lies
Scalloway
with the sea on three sides.
Somewhere between there and here
Euphemia's body lies
deep below the ravages of time
in a grave unmarked.
 
Waves of forgiveness nevermore
matter not now.
Her heart shipped to shore
long before
all hopes floated beyond her lover's shore
caught along the coast of their unforgiven time.
 
She harbored no ill reason or rhyme.
Gone yet not forgotten, now
her blood line flows evermore
upon the Shetland Islands
forever more.
 
 
 
 

My poem speaks for Euphemia Elphinstone, just one mistress of James V of Scotland (a King of Scots) and she was the mother of his son Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Orkney.  He was given the recreated earldom of Orkney and Shetland and the position of the Sheriff of Orkney.  James V of Scotland had 9 known illegitimate children.



I don't know if anyone else has posted this, but I wanted to let this water speak for itself.

Michael J. Wood's youtube video, Meal Beach, Burra Isles, Shetland.
 
 



For more Magpie Tales
go here
 
http://magpietales.blogspot.com/2013/03/mag-159.html




Robin Gosnall, photographer of our prompt photo, admits to whistling at this very beach just to see the seals pop their heads up from the water to look at him.

Isn't that just the sweetest thing to see?


 

19 comments:

Cloudia said...

How magical!



ALOHA from Honolulu
Comfort Spiral
~ > < } } ( ° > <3

sage said...

Lovely poem and great photos as always... my ancestors left the isles of scotland in the mid-18th century for the sand of North Carolina. Sometimes I think they must have been crazy.

anthonynorth said...

Beautiful poem. Mythological in content.

hyperCRYPTICal said...

'...her blood line flows evermore' - what a beautiful line.

How we live on, long past we're gone...

Anna :o]

Silent Otto said...

I think i know the one of who you speak, going to devote the rest of my life to finding her, gday !

Unknown said...

Whoa, that was some serious waxing poetic!

21 Wits said...

Sage- what a wonderful place to have roots from! You are lucky!

Snowcatcher said...

The seals popping their heads up is a grand shot, but boy oh boy does that water make me long for warmer temperatures!

Filip and Kristel said...

Love the seal, they are always playful. A joy to watch.

Greetings,
Filip

Galen Pearl said...

I love the idea of whistling at seals!

Alan Burnett said...

Some really memorable lines in that piece. Wonderful

Carrie Van Horn said...

The water speaks magic in your words Karen...:-)

Tess Kincaid said...

Enjoyed the bit of history you included...nice...

Little Nell said...

A wonderful tribute with some clever wordplay. I do like all the 'extras' - that's very me - a bit of history (we've all learned something) qoutes and a soothing film.

Unknown said...

This is the first piece of your works I have read - I am so glad I did. Thank you for writing such a beautiful story.

Truedessa said...

Nice somewhere between there and here..

Heidi said...

Very cool poem. I love the story you tell.

Cait O'Connor said...

I really love this, top notch.

Cait O'Connor said...

I really love this, top notch.