I composed this poem about a lighthouse a few years ago. It was featured in the Writing Magazine’s Poetry Workshop. The magazine’s poet, Alison Chisholm was very complimentary of it writing ‘the lighthouse is a haunting piece. Its captivating refrain and fascinating stanzas create a rich network of images to fascinate the reader, producing a truly memorable poem.’
The Lighthouse
Around some twisted corner
banked up to the coastline
I can see you winking at me
your one-eyed pupil like a
cyclops, dilating, hypnotising
Watching and waiting
waiting and watching
How I long to be like you
alone and free, solid in your
solitude, as the wind wraps itself around
your whitewashed face and a hundred
thousand stars fall from the night sky
Watching and waiting
waiting and watching
And on summer days when the
horizon mingles sea and land a
feint line with no tear and
the seabirds circle overhead
I will lose myself in the nothingness
Watching and waiting
waiting and watching
Then sometime when the mist is clear
I will dive into the salted waves and
wash myself like driftwood on the shoreline
I will have no fear of being shipwrecked
I know you will be there
Watching and waiting
waiting and watching
Please feel free to comment about this post – perhaps you have a favourite lighthouse you visit, or maybe live near – if so it would be lovely to hear about it.
A really good piece! Particularly like the refrain.
Thank you Glen. We arrived at the lighthouse at dusk, just as the light was switched on and it lit up the coastline. As I was watching it the refrain came into my mind and it simply wouldn’t go away. I think it was the combination of the rhythmic and hypnotic light scanning the coastline and the waves crashing against the cliffs below the lighthouse. It was a magical moment! Jill