The Isle of Wight,
climbing to its highest point.
I'm yards behind the leading boy
who stops, triumphant, on the brow
and looks around, seems mesmerised,
then looks at us:
"Up here!" he calls, "Come quick!"
and waves his arms, shouts: "You can see
the whole wide world from here!"
It's early days of space probes; images
of earth afloat in space are cropping up
in papers and elsewhere. I too can see
what he has misperceived:
the island as the Earth
suspended in an azure space
of Solent and the sea.
Except for this - he sees it too -
our Earth is tethered, not quite free:
down by The Needles space runs out
and isle and mainland seem to link.
"What's happened there?" he asks
and points. (Quite solemn now.)
"Bit dodgy that, I think!"
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10 comments:
If the earth ever broke away from its tether you'd have more than climate change or global warming to worry about :-).
lovely picture of boyhood vision - I can feel the wind and see the birds wheeling
a mountain top, the whole wide world... yes, i'd like to go back there...
Beautiful. To a perfection, Dave.
Perfect. Love the ending.
Through the eyes of a child ... I do long for the feeling sometimes
ah those we the innocent days Dave.
A beautiful poem. I know that place on the Island so well. You really do feel at the edge of England, if not the world!
Beautiful and clever. I couldn't help noticing that the title Whole Wide World can be abbreviated to WWW :)
Windsmoke
True, very true.
Isabel
Thanks for the nudge, I wasn't thinking of such aspects as I wrote it, except that is for the sun sparkling on the sea in the view from the top, but you mentioning them has brought them all back to me. It was a gloriously hot and sunny day.
Shadow
That would be grand.
David
Thanks. It was a perfect day. Must be that.
Carl
I'm glad. I always worry that the moment might not get across for those who didn't know the youngsters concerned.
Helen
Yes, indeed, I know what you mean.
The Weaver of Grass
Yes, weren't they just!
Dartford Warbler
Hi, welcome to you and thank you for your comment.
Yes, I noticed it too, but not until after I had posted it.
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