Written in Stone

Written in Stone

A stony beach hard on my feet,

a restless sea, green, grey, brown,

splashes of white where ocean waves

meet rocky outcrops, tiny islands.

Here the veil is thin between

earth and heaven, eternity.

Sheep, regardless, eat the seaweed

stranded on the strandline.

This the beach Columba landed,

stones are sacred, water holy.

Bow your head, take off your shoes,

walk on sacred ground.

Among the pebbles, one stands out,

a pretty, pinky marbled grey

with two meandering veins of white

right angled in a central cross –

random chance of nature’s craft

or blessing from Columba?

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This poem was inspired by a visit to the island of Iona, where St Columba landed to bring Christianity to Scotland. 

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The collage version of the poem (see photo above) is now for sale in the Crafty Green Poet Etsy shop. 

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I've also put together an Etsy treasury with an elephant theme. Treasuries are a great way to highlight some of the wonderful items on sale on Etsy. Elephants are struggling at the moment, there are rumours that African elephants could be hunted to extinction in the wild in as little as 18 years, which is a terrifying thought.