In Waters Deep

Published on by Laura Bloomsbury

In ocean wastes no poppies blow,
No crosses stand in ordered row,
There young hearts sleep… beneath the wave…
The spirited, the good, the brave,
But stars a constant vigil keep,
For them who lie beneath the deep.
‘Tis true you cannot kneel in prayer
On certain spot and think. “He’s there.”
But you can to the ocean go…
See whitecaps marching row on row;
Know one for him will always ride…
In and out… with every tide….

Sunday Sayings and an extract from ©2001 Eileen Mahoney’s poem for this Remembrance Sunday and the Naval Memorial at Plymouth Hoe to commemorate more than 7,000 sailors of the First World War and almost 16,000 from the Second World War

10 thoughts on “In Waters Deep”

    1. it was such a fine early Spring though showery day and there were all those names… the figure in the boots and coat so reminiscent too -all that naval and merchant shipping that lie in waters deep that this poem touches

  3. “Like” is not a right word. Acknowledge is more rightly meant. Only loss that should not have been. Fair regard is the flag I’ll see wave.

  4. To remember and honor is not to approve of the deaths. When I finally made it to the Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial I was surprised how emotional it was–and clearly was for everyone else there too. I did not look for the names of those I knew–just the sheer magnitude of all those unlived lives–it’s beyond words. “When will we ever learn?”–never it seems. (K)

    1. Not for us to approve or disapprove indeed since only they can decide the worth and there are times when such sacrifices save others lives – my gratitude is eternal

  5. Really nice; words and image. The photograph brings to mind Lee Friedlander’s long-out-of-print book “The American Monument”

Comments are closed.