The railway line is permanently in place
The train meanwhile runs loud along its track
The stillness and the motion put together
The reason why I constantly come back
The ocean and its waves are always moving
And yet the sea itself is always there
The ebb and flood of tide I find so soothing
The reason why I stand so long and stare
The turf fires and the coal fires of my childhood
A constant flickering of the crimson flame
The hearth itself a place of meditation
The silent centre of the earth’s refrain
My life too it needs a sense of motion
A constant feel our days are moving on
We also need the stillness of the ocean
A powerful presence to base our life upon
If life is always still then it is boring
It drags us down until we ‘re doomed to die
Yet if it’s always moving then we’re dizzy
Bereft of sense we really want to cry
So keep your life in balance that’s the secret
Let life’s emotion keep you moving on
But build your house on rock and so be steady
Let silence at your heart now make you strong
Brian Fahy
Erris Poetry 