When I am gone, distant from this green and woody earth
remember to leave tears out of my eulogies ~
they are neither wanted or needed
for I am in a kingdom no mouth shaped love can touch.
I am not laden with ageing flesh and cataracts,
nor feel tender pain through gums and fingertips.
The hand-me-downs have left my heel
like eels in lather;
cigar smoke breaking free from rats on a leash
and there the tides meet coral raptures.
The hands strike for armageddon,
slap for the dawning of human chains.
Wednesday 29 December 2010
Sunday 5 December 2010
Welsh. In Blood. In Spirit. In Tongue.
I am bringing up my daughter Elwen, the same way I was brought up; speaking fluent Welsh. Everyone on my mothers side of the family were Welsh speakers (and fiercly proud of being Welsh) and so naturally it will be carried on through Welsh stories, schools and everyday chatter.
It would be a tragedy of the highest order if Welsh (Cymraeg) ever died out and I will do my damnedest to make certain it doesn't. And if everyone in Wales followed suit our beautiful language would be safe. I have very little time for those who stick to english when conversing or singing with their children. They ought to be ashamed of themselves. Would you see this happen in Italy or Greece? Their children sticking to english? Never! Babes there are taught Italian and Greek first, english second (if at all in some areas) and we are a poorer place for not doing the same.
Not poorer in cultures and lands of course (we Celts can rival anything on the Mediterranean) but poorer in day to day ways. We should ALL, each one of us Welsh make sure our children speak our mother tongue.
If you dont speak it yourself, LEARN it! If for nothing else the good of your children (and country.) Should our 'iaith' fade out due to laziness it would, as I have said, be a terrible, terrible tragedy. I see so many people claiming to be proud of their Welsh heritage, then PROVE IT! Embrace our language, speak it often and ingrain it into your children. Language is vitally important to a country; it is one of the seeds from which so much can grow.
Do your child and Wales a huge favour ~ Siaradwch Cymraeg. Nawr!
It would be a tragedy of the highest order if Welsh (Cymraeg) ever died out and I will do my damnedest to make certain it doesn't. And if everyone in Wales followed suit our beautiful language would be safe. I have very little time for those who stick to english when conversing or singing with their children. They ought to be ashamed of themselves. Would you see this happen in Italy or Greece? Their children sticking to english? Never! Babes there are taught Italian and Greek first, english second (if at all in some areas) and we are a poorer place for not doing the same.
Not poorer in cultures and lands of course (we Celts can rival anything on the Mediterranean) but poorer in day to day ways. We should ALL, each one of us Welsh make sure our children speak our mother tongue.
If you dont speak it yourself, LEARN it! If for nothing else the good of your children (and country.) Should our 'iaith' fade out due to laziness it would, as I have said, be a terrible, terrible tragedy. I see so many people claiming to be proud of their Welsh heritage, then PROVE IT! Embrace our language, speak it often and ingrain it into your children. Language is vitally important to a country; it is one of the seeds from which so much can grow.
Do your child and Wales a huge favour ~ Siaradwch Cymraeg. Nawr!
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