Michael Armstrong
St. Kevin's Ducks and Drakes
One fine November night,
the moon reflected in the water
folding and expanding over ripples,
he felt the suddenness of joy
the urgent need to celebrate.
He chose a flat stone like a disc
feeling its smoothness fit his hand.
So long since he had done it
he had almost forgotten how
to lean back and take aim
then hurl it almost parallel
to the surface of the lake.
Because he was a saint
his throw was more than special
and his specially chosen stone
kept on bouncing through silver
far away and finally out of sight
till he could only hear the
distant slap of stone on water.
Then his laughter bounced in echoes
from shore to shore of Glendalough
and he raised his arms towards
the November moon above the mountains.
* Ducks and Drakes is the art of skimming a flat stone over the surface of the water.
Page(s) 108
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