A Visit to Seamus Heaney HomePlace

Martha, Evie and I went today to the Seamus Heaney HomePlace at Bellaghy. The girls enjoyed the Exhibition much more than I expected them to. They were especially taken with the interactive features.

In this part of the exhibition, visitors can watch and listen to a variety of people including actors, musicians, writers, Presidents, neighbours and local schoolchildren speak of their connection to Heaney and read from his work. In the photograph above my grandchildren are listening to President Bill Clinton speak of his friendship with Seamus Heaney. The section of poetry that President Clinton chose to read was from The Cure at Troy: A Version of Sophocles' Philoctetes.

History says, Don’t hope On this side of the grave,’
But then, once in a lifetime
The longed for tidal wave
Of justice can rise up
And hope and history rhyme.

So hope for a great sea- change
On the far side of revenge.
Believe that a further shore
Is reachable from here.
Believe in miracles.
And cures and healing wells.

That gave me such hope in these trying and difficult times as did the pleasure that Martha and Evie took from today's experience.

Evie must have listened to at least ten poems on the interactive listening devices. She said her favourite poem was the one about the kite. (A Kite For Michael And Christopher) At six years of age, I don't think she can have an understanding of the complexity of the poem but listening to Heaney's beautiful voice I'm sure she recognised some of the compassion and beauty that the poem contains. The last verse is one of my own favourite pieces, the line 'You were born fit for it' I find especially reassuring.

Before the kite plunges down into the wood
and this line goes useless
take in your two hands, boys, and feel
the strumming, rooted, long-tailed pull of grief.
You were born fit for it.
Stand in here in front of me
and take the strain.

As always, Martha the artist took great pleasure in the children's creative zone.

And Evie, when she tried on this hat in the dressing up corner...

...immediately put me under arrest.

On Docking and Cropping

I'm certain that Zoe and the Kerry Sister will agree with the sentiment expressed in this old poem.

HORSE, DOG AND MAN


 The horse and the dog had tamed a man and
       fastened him to a fence:
 Said the horse to the dog: "For the life of
       me, I don't see a bit of sense
 In letting him have the thumbs that grow at
       the sides of his hands. Do you?"
 And the dog looked solemn and shook his head,
       and said: "I'm a goat if I do!"

 The poor man groaned and tried to get loose,
       and sadly he begged them, "Stay!
 You will rob me of things for which I have
       use by cutting my thumbs away!
 You will spoil my looks, you will cause me
       pain; ah, why would you treat me so?
 As I am, God made me, and He knows best!
       Oh, masters, pray let me go!"

 The dog laughed out, and the horse replied,
       "Oh, the cutting won't hurt you, see?
 We'll have a hot iron to clap right on, as you
       did in your docking of me!
 God gave you your thumbs and all, but still,
       the Creator, you know, may fail
 To do the artistic thing, as he did in the
       furnishing me with a tail."

 So they bound the man and cut off his thumbs,
       and were deaf to his pitiful cries,
 And they seared the stumps, and they viewed
       their work through happy and dazzled eyes.
 "How trim he appears," the horse exclaimed,
       "since his awkward thumbs are gone!
 For the life of me I cannot see why the Lord
       ever put them on!"

 "Still it seems to me," the dog replied, "that
       there's something else to do;
 His ears look rather too long for me, and how
       do they look to you?"
 The man cried out: "Oh, spare my ears!
       God fashioned them as you see,
 And if you apply your knife to them, you'll
       surely disfigure me."

 "But you didn't disfigure me, you know," the
       dog decisively said,
 "When you bound me fast and trimmed my
       ears down close to the top of my head!"
 So they let him moan and they let him groan
       while they cropped his ears away,
 And they praised his looks when they let him
       up, and proud indeed were they.

 But that was years and years ago, in an
       unenlightened age!
 Such things are ended, now, you know; we've
       reached a higher stage.
 The ears and thumbs God gave to man are his
       to keep and wear,
 And the cruel horse and dog look on, and
       never appear to care.

   S.E. KISER.