Commemorating what never was

By Rhiannonw

Mon, 13 Mar 2017
  • 703 reads
2 comments
 

Made in advance
with such confidence
the event would take place –
but that wasn’t the case.

Hoarded, and now
a reminder of how
our plans are uncertain
– a fact disconcerting
to some.

(The writing on this pencil is: CORONATION EDWARD VIII 12 MAY 1937 WESTMINSTER ABBEY …)

[IP this week: Things you keep]

 

Certificate U
Poem
Miscellaneous
Philosophy
Inspiration Point (work that responds to our weekly writing cue)

Comments

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

sometimes when items have such meaning at the time, it seems such a shame that they won't mean as much in the future.

What maybe important today, might not be tomorrow as in your poem.

Hope I've got the right meaning.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

HI, Elsie, I'm not sure if you had understood it.

What I found so interesting was that the pencil was made to commemorate the upcoming coronation that in the end didn't occur, as he abdicated in favour of his brother (the George who was our Queen's father). I remember reading an article long ago by someone who said what an impression it made on his young mind when he heard his father (I think it was) commenting on an announcement in the paper of the date Edward viii was to be crowned, and the man saying that the advert should have added DV (which is the Latin for the phrase, God willing, which used to be used to admit our plans and ideas may not come to fruition). The episode stuck in his young mind, because soon afterwards it was announced that the coronation would not now occur due to Edward abdicating.

I think there is quite a lot of 'memoribilia' around for this event that in the end was cancelled. Rhiannon