When statues moved: reflections on faith and the Troubles

By Anthony Lewis

NORMALITY

Rock statues move in their free state

Minds stay still to segregate

Ear drums burst by deafless talk

Whilst in their snare the gunmen stalk

Intractable the land is rich

A sutured gash and coarsened stitch

A garment worn to hide the wound

Sixes all from view entombed

In the ground and still alive

Normality that must survive

© Antz Lewis 1985

Biographical note

Growing up in Northern Ireland during the 'Troubles' was a great education in intolerance. Luckily, I was surrounded by adults from all the 'traditions' who refused to support the use of violence. Together, they formed the peaceful majority who were focused on trying to live normal lives despite the mayhem. Even so, the extremists on both sides tried their best to disrupt everyone's life, but in the end they did not succeed. I wrote this poem after seeing reports on the TV that devout Catholic women were staring at statues of the Virgin Mary across Ireland because some had claimed that they had moved. This happened in the South which was jokingly called the 'Freestate' by some in the North. Such irrational idiocy required a poem to sooth my shock.