It was Mark who made the comical remark
As the ferry docked at Dover journey’s end
‘Thank God,’ he said, ‘thank God we’re back in England
Thank God we’re on the mainland once again’
There are blessings in the fact we’re on an island
Surrounded by the sea as by a moat
Never far from coasts and sandy beaches
Always keen to sail out in a boat
The sea as a defence is all around us
The shipping forecast lulls us all to sleep
We know the joy of waking every morning
Defended by the waves and by the deep
And yet we’re never far from greater action
But we like to be a law unto our self
The people of the continent distraction
We share with them the continental shelf
The benefits of an island life are many
The danger is forgetting where we are
We are part of something greater than an island
The world and the planets and the stars
Brian Fahy
12 May 2021
Erris Poetry 