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[W.-B. notation: o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O (iambic pentameter)]

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Ys Bay is hard to access from the north
as hefty headlands guard its pebbly beach,
but turn a boat to east and voyage forth
and Breton’s coast is easier to reach;
the waters mirror colours of the sky
and movements too, as cloudscapes drift and dance
while Sun and Moon both travel on their ways
and gulls and terns and petrels wheel and fly
above the sea as though in turning trance,
a submerged city gleaming in their gaze.

Come mornings when the waters shimmer clear
an old cathedral rises through the waves,
astonishing to witness, far and near,
for birds on high to lizards in their caves;
as spires, towers, roof, and walls ascend
a dozen bells begin a joyful chime,
a thousand voices rise in cheerful throng
to organ thunderings, and then – an end.
The building sinks to seabed, sand and slime,
and all that’s left is sky and seabird song.

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W.-B.’s notes: “I should like to extend firm thank-coos to editor of The Hypertexts Michael R. Burch for publishing this poem. It was first written over a decade ago, just for fun, as part of a series taking inspiration from the titles of Claude Debussy’s Préludes. Here we have ‘La cathédrale engloutie’ (‘The Sunken Cathedral’). Clearly we did not seek to emulate M. Debussy’s impressionist style in any way, preferring to tell a simple story in iambic pentameter. More recently we revised the poem for vocabulary and shipped it to THT!“

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Fliss

Indeed, W.-B.; thousand thanks to Mike as usual! There’s little to add, I think, other than the poem fits our prompt-if-you-want, Summer Holiday, insofar as it came to mind while we were on holiday in Gloucester through August and September four years ago. It wasn’t a particularly happy holiday; we were in hospital for about five weeks, as I had fractured my left femur. I also managed to contract Covid-19 just as we thought we might be able to leave the ward, which was a shame! Anyway, from the ward we had a wonderful view of Gloucester Cathedral, and I often thought of this poem while looking out at the beautiful building. It’s in my second collection too!

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Bio: Two collections of poems previously published in journals including The HyperTexts, Snakeskin, The Ekphrastic Review, Lighten Up Online, The Dirigible Balloon, Pulsebeat Poetry Journal, Amethyst Review; also published in Light and New Verse Review. The second collection is ex-Kelsay Books (contract terminated due to worsening illness). Third collection pending, available for free online.

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Thanks again to all our poets for their contributions and to all our readers for your continuing support and encouragement, much appreciated! Happy August to all, and we look forward to returning in September.

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Fliss x

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David E. | David S. | Don | Ethan | Gail | Janet | Janice | John | Mark | Melissa | Mike | Paul | Steven | Susan

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