George, your post was very soft and gentle and caring. While there were some problems on this thread about a month ago, concerning a few people with very negative energy, most of them seem to have disappeared now to play in other neighborhoods. I took a week off to get caught up on piles and piles of paperwork, projects and dirty laundry, and just came back, feeling pretty energetic. Terry has little in common with Dwight, as far as I know. I realize you and Terry do not like each other, but I like both of you, so I wish you could be cordial to each other. Dwight and J. Barrett can fend for themselves, I'm sure!
I really did seek you out because the poem puzzled me. You are my resident expert on poems. I think after reading what you wrote, that the poem may well be about the conflict in Northern Ireland. My guess is that she is writing from a Catholic perspective, since it was the Catholics who fled Ireland after the Troubles began in the late sixties. That is how I found my husband, in fact, because he came to San Francisco. So she may be talking about the Protestants in the north.
However, my husband just read it while I was typing this, and has volunteered an interesting interpretation--that she is talking about the white race, written from an aborigine perspective. Symbolically I can understand how they would think we wanted to drink the blood of their children, because we did try to utterly destroy their culture. They were forced to send their children to boarding schools like Americans did with the Indians, and many of them were sexually and physically abused there. The idea was to destroy their families, culture, and wipe out their languages, in both countries. At least the Australians had the courage to have a national Sorry Day, where over a million people signed petitions of apology to the aborigines. And we have certainly pretty much destroyed the environment, so that part fits. Australian aborigines and Native Americans believe the earth is the mother, and that the land is owned by everyone.
I hope you have some time to hang out here this summer, George. Incidentally, have you thought of trying to attract an American woman? Men die at such higher rates than women do, that there is a huge surplus of women once they get into their sixties and beyond. Or do you want a younger woman? If age is not an issue, have you thought of going on an Elder Hostel vacation? I can hardly wait to be old enough to join up! They offer very interesting journeys almost everywhere, with academic lectures and very reasonable rates. The older women I know think they are the best thing since sliced bread (what a wonderful old 1930's kind of saying)! Aren't you a teacher? They particularly appeal to independent, energetic women who are also teachers, so you would have something in common. |
