The poem
Evans? Yes, many a time I came down his bare flight Of stairs into the gaunt kitchen With its wood fire, where crickets sang Accompaniment to the black kettle"s Whine, and so into the cold Dark to smother in the thick tide Of night that drifted about the walls Of his stark farm on the hill ridge.
It was not the dark filling my eyes And mouth appalled me; not even the drip Of rain like blood from the one tree Weather-tortured. It was the dark Silting the veins of that sick man I left stranded upon the vast And lonely shore of his bleak bed.
this poem was based on my great grand father william Evans. unfortunately he had lost his wife suddenly leaving him to bring up 5 children on his own. His father moved in to help. Unfortunately he broke his back whilst working for the forestry and was hospitalised for many months at the Orthopeadic Hospital Oswestry. His 5 children would walk from manafon to oswestry approx 25 miles one way.He was nursed at home by family and RS Thomas and his wife supported the family for a considerable time .Tragically gangrene set in and my grand father died at 47 years old. the cottage has obviously been renovated but still stands proud to this day
It began with this poem............
...........my love of poetry began with this poem studied as part of my English Higher course (in Scotland) it served to, along with an inspirational teacher, give me years of enjoyment.