Berrow Sands

Gold cherry

By onemorething

Tue, 24 Jan 2023
  • 680 reads
14 comments
 

 

A great fairy fish, 

its mouth vast and gaping,

is said to have swum

off Berrow Sands, and

belched her fill of men

like thunder,

swallowed God like Jonah, 

but refused to spit him out. 

The sea here

is raincloud leaden, 

a murk of mudflats and dismay.

I imagine those

eager sailors launched 

on the underbelly of night,

unwitting food for a scaled giant,

scraps for conger eels,

serpentine ministers of darkness

who barked like dogs in the slippery gloom.

The moon loured then, as now,

the stars, its bright prisoners, 

a wake for lost fishermen,

and I think the moon might ask —

‘Do you think of God?’ 

‘But oh,’ would come a snarled reply, ‘I wonder 

rather, does God think of me?’

 

There is a folktale about Berrow Sands in Somerset, of a huge fairy or witch fish that eats sailors and leaves the remains for the barking conger eels. Painting is from here: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pieter_Lastman_-_Jonah_and_the_Whale_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg#mw-jump-to-license

Certificate PG
Poem
Unclassified

Comments

Submitted by celticman on

I like it. Folklore has that truth that your poetry mangifies. 

 

Submitted by onemorething on

Thanks CM. It amused me as I have paddled in that spot...kept all my toes though. 

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

I feel the same as Jack, there's always some truth in folklore and I love learning new stories. Never heard the tale of Berrow sands, which is why I enjoyed your poem.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by onemorething on

Glad you enjoyed it, Jennifer. :)

 

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

Very glad to hear you managed to keep all your toes. Would you paddle there again, knowing about the  fairy fish? smiley Not sure I'd dare!

Thank you for another gem onemore (and I never knew about barking eels - amazing!)

 

Submitted by onemorething on

Ha, I'm not sure. Very tentative paddling in future and maybe an offering to the fairy fish before wading in. Happy you liked it. :)

 

Submitted by marandina on

I've been to Berrow Sands many times. I adore this part of the world. I didn't know about this folklore, though. You should compile a poetry collection based on fairy tales. I'd buy it. Paul :)

 

Submitted by onemorething on

A book of folklore poems...sounds like a fun thing to put together! Thank you for reading it and your lovely comment. :)

 

Submitted by airyfairy on

I'd buy it too. Conger eels are frightening enough, without the thought of them barking! I'd never heard of Berrow Sands before. Now I want to go, but I think I'll keep my toes in my shoes. 

Submitted by onemorething on

Ah thank you, and yes they are scary...which makes me wonder how terrifying the fairy fish was / is --- I mean, it could still be there. 

 

Submitted by airyfairy on

This stunning addition to onemorething's series of folktale poems is our Facebook and Twitter Pick of the Day! Please do share/retweet if you enjoy it too. 

Submitted by onemorething on

Thanks so much!! Little post-work nap and woke up to this - a very lovely surprise! 

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

"serpentine ministers of darkness

who barked like dogs in the slippery gloom." is so vivid! Ministers conjours up sinister and that conjours up sinnuous, and the words coil in on themselves. And slippery could be like a slipper, not cosy like for human feet but made of cold deepness, which they slide into, like boneless wriggly toes

 

Submitted by TJW on

Biblical and secular at the same time; maybe that's the essence of a folktale and it ain't always gotta be the Christian bible.  Much obliged for the read.

 

TJ