another page

Another whole page of the Mariner is lying in the neural networks of my brain. Phrases present themselves during conversations, adding their music and echo to the topic in hand.

Quoth he, "He hath penance done,
And penance more will do."

Penance is suffering. Perhaps it is the working of our conscience when we acknowledge a wrong act. It requires that we recognise and feel the pain we have caused to others. Doing this, the other becomes part of me and I am more connected with wider life.

Natural justice requires that a wrong doer acknowledge that their act was wrong and take some steps towards reparation. Jewish 'an eye for an eye' and Aboriginal payback are two ancient justice systems that work on this basis. Wrong doers must suffer before they are redeemed.

The Mariner has suffered, but it seems that he hasn't suffered quite enough at this point. So he gets one more blast of 'dead man's eye'.

The pang, the curse with which they died
Had never passed away;
I could not draw my eyes from theirs
Nor turn them up to pray.

Then suddenly, in the next line, the spell is broken. The poem is like that – things change dramatically in a single line, or even a word. Colderidge doesn't do extended segues in this poem.

Today, I wonder what needs redeeming in my life? Redeeming, repairing a little every day – this keeps me at the coal face of my life. Working on my ephemeral self.