Q1: The Kornelia poem is probably the hardest one explain. It prompts a
change in understanind perpective when you realise that she is the mother,
yes, but she is the one that the child will follow through life and,
hopefully, towards God...Her images are those of hardship but she was a
survivor and translated that stamina to her sun to also be a survive. He,
in turn, expresses his gratitude by acknowledging that he knows what he has
meant to her...A hard question...
Q2: The hostel was positive because it brought us - like migrating birds -
to a new country and gave us hope for the future. "Dying" does sound
negative but it just means that all generatios - young, middle aged, old -
dying - chose to come to a new country rather than stay where they's lost all.
Q3: What influenced me to write Crossing the Red Sea ? Impossible to say...
Why do I write at all...The poem is a recount in several parts - each one
with a different theme - of the actuall voyage on the ship that brought us
here in 1949. You'll note change when you closely read each part - each
gives a point of view that is different.
The last part of your question refers to the ship sailing off while the sun
is setting. The red light colours the clouds and they move like red
banners...In "mock salute" simply means it is not a military salute...just
a goodbye....the references to caves, etc...Means that the silence of
dparture - the heaviness, e.g. in their hearts was broken once the ship
sailed away...You'll note later on that people start talking.
Best wishes
Peter Skrzynecki
