The Icelandic Canadian - 01.02.2007, Side 43

Vol. 60 #4
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
169
Poetry
Voices On Waves
by Lois A. McCartney
Voices on waves; water speaking to me
Carrying the sounds across the sea
Saying there are many words more.
Is it imagination; is it not
Conversations of my forefathers, sought
The echo of voices, a delight to the ears
Reaching out over water, spanning years.
“Dottir, dottir, we know who you are”
The waves telling this; whispers from afar
For a moment, silence; what should I do
Whispering back; a pensive mood
Wonderful awareness; clearly sensing
Voices on waves; in my heart’s mind hearing.
Fathers tending sheep; for the lost they call
Nets pulled in: “is that all?”
Mothers tending babies; “rock-a-by”
Children hungry; I can hear them cry.
Before sadness, laughter heard
Leaving the island, nary a word
Life wasn’t easy on those rocky shores
“We managed as did those before.”
Words spoken to me; “child do not lament”
“To other shores, we islanders went”
“You sit on a lakeshore, where we build anew”
“We did this out of love for you.”
Not everyone left; the homeland must remain
Somewhere to visit again and again
Language, customs, artistry kept alive
Voices on waves; “We did survive.”