Beach Burial

This is reminiscent of Gillian Clarke’s poetry, but masculinised in the same way that her language is feminised. It especially brought to mind her poem ‘Ichthyosaur’ where she comments on the nature of death - a suspended threshold between life and its end - through a variety of sound and visual imagery.

Almost striking is the last line ‘turn their heads west - even in death’ which I couldn’t help but draw parallels to ‘the frozen baby turning its head’ (Ichthyosaur) where both convey life’s sense of instinct meeting, in thrashing conflict, with its end.

Not to mention, both also utilise the concept of maternity and paternity, how parents and children are forever intertwined - which death heightens that biology. Perhaps mortality is a forceful disconnect, but it seems that the spiritual, or even history, re-fuses that bond.

It was fascinating to see these same themes drawn and written in such simultaneous ways, but differently portrayed through a feminine and masculine perspective.