I have been here before, when heaven cried,
All my love and longing locked up inside,
Where the green grass glowed in the falling rain,
So why have I come to this place again?
To the place where I laid that marble stone,
Where I knelt and prayed and felt so alone,
Here, on my knees, I know deepest sorrows,
The joy of true love its torment borrows:
You, whose mouth was made perfect for kisses,
Whispered goodbye midst our last caresses,
Whose eyes of great love are forever closed,
Love’s gift fled quicker than I supposed;
Then came our parting, parading as Death,
You said you loved me, with your final breath.
© Sam Gilliland. 1/01/18.
Residing in Scotland, Sam Gilliland is a champion of Lallans (the Scottish language) poetry and a recipient of Sangschaw’s prestigious MacDiarmid Tassie. With three previous collections of poetry published his work in Scots includes A Rickle O Banes (Penny Wheep Press). Founder/Secretary of Ayrshire Writers & Artists Society the organisation became the home of The Scottish International Open Poetry Competition, to which he devoted twenty eight years of his life as co-administrator and judge.
Beautiful and i could feel your sorrow
Thank you, all, for your heart-warming replies. One often feels so very much alone at times like this, but it is good to know that there are friends out there who really care about others. Aye & aye, Sam.
Remiss of me not to respond to individual comments. My apologies, Stephanie. Perhaps the greatest compliment a poet ever receives lies in knowing that someone, with great feeling, has read his work. Thank you! Aye & aye, Sam.
Remarkably powerful!
As Stephanie said, I too could feel your sorrow.
Well done, Sam.
Thank you, Joe. I trust the epigram below shall make amends for my bad manners.
To span eternity with a smile
And the universe in one stride
Becomes the poet, and with poetic guile
Conceals what lies within – outside!
Aye & aye, Sam.
Truly moving!
Sorrowful, yet uplifting.
Dear David, One always hopes that lines set down upon an empty page shall result in fostering the love of poetry. I thank you for contributing to that love. Aye & aye, Sam.
Poignant, forlorn and powerful.
Dear David, Your comment certainly helps take the bitter edge off my sorrow. One must be a poet of belief if imagery borrowed from within can, ultimately, be used in a far more positive way; which is what I am now striving towards. I reach out to offer my very sincere gratitude. Aye & aye, Sam.
This is Gilliland in his most lilting and lyrical mode, perhaps the greatest love poet of our time.
What can I say, My Dear Joseph. Your comment underlines the obscure sense of belonging that all poets have in this vague yet powerful movement we exist in. Aye & aye, Sam.
It’s beautiful and moving.
Good Sir, Nothing could be more moving that the path that you follow! I am delighted that feelings engendered by this piece brought out some joy for you with its beauty. Strangely, despite my sorrow, I could not ask for a better way in which to celebrate her life. Aye & aye, Sam.
What a beautiful poem…thank you.
And I thank you, Allegra. The soft misery of my sorrow lessens when I read such warm comments. Aye & aye, Sam.
Mr Gilliland,
I hugely enjoyed this moving poem.
Delighted, Leo, even though the pain of such a loss shall stay with me forever, it is heartening to know that joy can surface from such a tragedy. My sincere thanks. Aye & aye, Sam
A beautiful and moving poem; I really like your work, Sam.
Iam the partner of Robert (Martin) Gilliland. Your brother Son. He was talking about you, so I goggled you and found this most beautiful poem. Hope to hear back