HEARING YOUR WORDS
For Ruth Bidgood, reading in Aberystwyth

I used, as a child, to imagine my death, or rather
beyond it. A ship setting out, in flames, at dusk,
counteracting the planet’s roll, on the sunrise path
to a waveless far horizon lit from beneath.

This came to mind, just now, clicking on close-up
through the café window – sea meeting that sky,
distantly smooth, arching high, up above
a jumble of chimneys and roofs backlit at sundown.

I found myself catching my breath, gravity’s curve
seen through such a small frame, from here where we sit
with our cups of tea. Vastness out there, our past.
But on planets elsewhere, other seas, other lives beginning.

Later, among the books, hearing your words,
it was waves I thought of – from land we may never see
reaching across the bulge of this little earth
to break, not one the same, on familiar shores.

– Anne Cluysenaar, © 2013, All rights reserved

taken from the poem diary From Seen to Unseen and Back by Anne Cluysenaar, Cinnamon Press, 2014; originally published on this site in February 2013 with Anne’s permission and that of Second Light Live, the publisher of ARTEMISpoetry, the magazine from which it was excerpted 

Anne Cluysenaar, Welsh poet and painter

British poet, Myra Schneider, wrote this morning saying that the esteemed Welsh poet, Anne Cluysenaar (b. 1935) died yesterday. Anne was born in Belgium and migrated  to Britain before the start of World War II. She was graduated from Trinity College at Dublin and became an Irish citizen in 1961, living there on a small property she owned and managed with her husband, Walt Jackson. She is the daughter John Edmond Cluysenaar (1899-1986), Belgian artist.

Anne had worked as a visiting teacher of creative writing at the University of Wales at Cardif and taught literature, linguistics and stylistics at a number of other universities. She was a Fellow of the Welsh Academy.

Anne’s poetry was included numerous anthologies and literary magazines and among her many poetry collections is  this year’s: From Seen to Unseen and Back, Cinnamon Press.

Anne was editor for many years of Scintilla, a journal of literary criticism, prose and poetry in the metaphysical tradition. She was active in and well-regarded by Second Light Network of Women Poets (UK). Her poetry was shared in their magazine and poetry collections and she was a tutor, mentor and often a judge in their poetry competitions. Anne Cluysenaar has left behind a stream of uplifting poetry and a legion of appreciative readers.

Anne’s portrait courtesy of Second Light Live.

– Jamie Dedes