Her like again
We will not see they say
I get a sense of that
Watching her way
Of talking slowly
Thinking all the while
A careful cautious lady
And of style
I haven’t read her yet
I swerved away
Twice studied Tudors
Enough for me I’d say
And Henry 8
I haven’t words to say
How hatefully I think of him
And his heartless way
But Mantel makes you think again
I think
She gets inside bare facts
The kitchen sink
Those years of silent study
Silent cell
She brings to light
A story she can tell
Now public talk seems frivolous
And fond
Public noise to drown the silent sound
Of history walking live again
Through markings on a page
Go buy the books and read again
About that other age
Brian Fahy
24 September 2022
Erris Poetry 