Ireland in my childhood was a country that marched to the tune of the catholic church. The year was measured out in church events and feast days; not so much now, the mind of the population has shifted. But in a country that still fervently believed in the christian story: spirits, apparitions, miracles, Satan and hell, not to mention still having a consideration for its pre-christian beliefs, it's not suprising that a child with a lively imagination might find nighttime just a little scary. It was an adventure in its possibilities ( and of course the dark shadows of wet and cloudy climate addedgreatly to this); it was both exciting and frightening in a child's mind.
Whale Song
When I was young
night cleared away the countryside;
leaving nothing till morning.
Sometimes a dog barked;
barked in the void;
a bark that carried forever.
When I hear whale song,
I hear that void
and I remember a childs terror.
