(A memorial for the Morecambe Bay cockling disaster of 2004 by artist Anthony Padgett)
The figure kneels,
strong shoulders carry the weight of waves,
where clouds reflect in water’s still haven
and only birds can fly with their scathing cry,
praying hands remember the tide,
when cracks appeared in sand
engulfing the stars and sky.
A cargo train clatters by,
past the struggle and turmoil inside
shadows at sunrise,
torn from their land
in darkness of current,
exploited by the trickery of the estuary,
This memorial stands
drawing reflection and renewal
from shore’s edge.