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notes from a small vicar
from a parish
in Liverpool, UK
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Monday, August 12, 2002
And they have all walked by the genius sea
posted by John Davies at 7:56 PM
A day for rooting down and strengthening. That means revisiting old, familar, favourite people and places. They included Liverpool Central Library, one of the city's spectacular Edwardian monoliths, today busy with
a summertime mix of visitors.
Then, onto Liverpool's Cathedral of Football - Goodison Park, of course. Gentle pre-season buzz around the ground and in the club shop, anticipating the new kit and snapping up end-of-line bargains. I got a tshirt for £6; no doubt I'll be wearing it on GB Saturday (to shake hands with Sunderland fans).
And finally, to my parents' for a bite to eat and a little time on the seafront promenade at the bottom of their road. Very clear view over the Irish Sea to the Snowdonia hills today. I grew up here, and remain fascinated by this scene as it changes through the seasons, as so many other people are. I wrote a poem about it once; it remains a favourite:
And they have all walked by the genius sea:
Old men and bad men
Travellers and typists
Middle-aged women with varicose legs
And they have understood the tides of eternity:
Grubby boys and big boys
Plimsoll-clad runners
Flaxen-haired girls with love on their minds
And they have been anointed by the damp salt wind:
Vicars and sailors
Paupers and prisoners
Singers and salesmen with stories to tell
And they have all praised the glittering horizon:
Communists and cripples
Lunatics and lovely girls
Busty young wives with wombsfull of life
Old soldiers, young cousins,
Divorcees with dogs:
The tides of eternity have all called out to them
And they have all walked by the genius sea.
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john davies
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