Paternoster
The Pater Noster grips the tips of these
salt-beaten Stones, while supplications drift
on louêmes of abalone and hope spalls off
these traîtres rotchièrs. Now cut adrift it grabs
at boulders rough with bênaques, slick with vrai,
to seek the sanctuary of the clefts
where shingle lies at peace in spumed crévasses
protected from the sea's tumult and scorn.
While all around la vental'lie is thick
with brine that tars the scouâle, trapping les vouaies
des morts. These, through the past five hundred years
have stirred la mé and cursed the swell around
Les Pièrres dé Lé.
Pater Noster - Our Father (the Lord's Prayer); louêmes - waves; traîtres rotchièrs - treacherous rocks; bênaques - barnacles; vrai - seaweed; crévasses - crevices; la vental'lie - the windy weather; scouâle - squall; les vouâies des morts - the voices of the dead; la mé - the sea; Pièrres dé Lé - Stones of Lecq - the name of the reef (also called the ‘Paternosters’)