Accepting The Inevitable…… Vinquoy Cairn…...Mr. Mac In America......
by Bernie Bell - 08:36 on 02 June 2025
Accepting The Inevitable……
Friend Fred sent me the following poem….
Against the Fear of Death
How wise James was to call his friend
“The real distinguished thing:”
The higher purpose as the end,
The final reckoning.
Respect your death, and do not shun him,
Nor keep him waiting long.
He is life’s prize: when you have won him.
Let it be worth a song.
But do not fear him: if you lost,
You’ll never lose again.
And if you won, he pays the cost;
So what’s the trouble then?
https://frederickturnerpoet.com/
And my response was…
“I read your poem, and it rang a bell – in Philip Pullman’s ‘Dark Materials’ trilogy (to me, the rest of the series is pointless), when Lyra and Will go to the land of the dead to rescue Roger, they come across the idea that a person’s death is with them, right from the start – which, of course, it/he/she is.
I’m not using ‘it/he/she’ to go with the modern trend – I’m putting it that way as …..is your death the same gender as you, or no gender at all? I don’t know!”
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Vinquoy Cairn….
I’ll quote from the Archaeology Orkney blog…..
“ORCA has published the report of the 1985 re-excavation of the Vinquoy Hill chambered cairn, in the north end of Eday, dedicating it to the late Jacqui Marwick, who led the operation.”
https://archaeologyorkney.com/2025/05/30/vinquoy-report/
And here’s are my Vinquoy tuppenceworth…
https://theorkneynews.scot/2020/01/19/poetry-corner-vinquoy-cairn/
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Mr. Mac In America.....
Robert MacFarlane is in New York to publicise his most recent book…… ‘Is a River Alive?’……
https://bsky.app/profile/robgmacfarlane.bsky.social/post/3lqimltfmlc27
I hope he stays safe.
Here’s my tuppenceworthre. 'Is A River Alive?'….
http://www.spanglefish.com/berniesblog/blog.asp?blogid=17312
I’ve read more of it since I wrote that – it really is very good – disturbing – but good.
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