After a few days off to recharge my batteries depleted by the 4 Corners Festival and shelter from storm Dennis, here's another of the pieces I wrote for the 4 Corners "Wonderful Wander" following on from the “The Ballad of the Big Fish” and like it, written about a piece of public art a short way up river from it. The official title of this 19.5 metres high metal sculpture by Andy Scott, is "Beacon of Hope". It was constructed in 2007 in the recently designated “Thanksgiving Square” on the banks of the Lagan. But like most other pieces of public art in Belfast it has been given several nicknames including Nuala with the Hula (credited to Gerard Doyle), the Belle on the Ball, the Thing with the Ring and the Angel of Thanksgiving.
The this poem only came about after the walk however, after the broadcast of "Lost Lives" last night and re-reading an excerpt from John Hewitt’s “The Bloody Brae” published in "Building a City of Grace", the short anthology of poems and photographs published in association with the festival and launched at the end of the walk. The picture associated with this post is shamelessly stolen from Philip McCrea, one of those who participated in the Wonderful Wander and supplied the photos for the book.
Look up,
in thankfulness
That we are where we are
Look up,
in hopefulness
for the unclaimed future.
Thanksgiving and hope,
Gratitude and grace,
One feeding into the other
In an unbroken circle,
Breaking the old circle
Of hopelessness and hatred.
Unforgiveness and fear.
Look up.
Shalom
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