"Flor de Muertos" by Jeremy Lipking‘The Night When Heaven Cried’ by Sam Gilliland The Society January 10, 2018 Beauty, Poetry 19 Comments I have been here before, when heaven cried, All my love and longing locked up inside, Where the green grass glowed in the falling rain, So why have I come to this place again? To the place where I laid that marble stone, Where I knelt and prayed and felt so alone, Here, on my knees, I know deepest sorrows, The joy of true love its torment borrows: You, whose mouth was made perfect for kisses, Whispered goodbye midst our last caresses, Whose eyes of great love are forever closed, Love’s gift fled quicker than I supposed; Then came our parting, parading as Death, You said you loved me, with your final breath. © Sam Gilliland. 1/01/18. Residing in Scotland, Sam Gilliland is a champion of Lallans (the Scottish language) poetry and a recipient of Sangschaw’s prestigious MacDiarmid Tassie. With three previous collections of poetry published his work in Scots includes A Rickle O Banes (Penny Wheep Press). Founder/Secretary of Ayrshire Writers & Artists Society the organisation became the home of The Scottish International Open Poetry Competition, to which he devoted twenty eight years of his life as co-administrator and judge. NOTE TO READERS: If you enjoyed this poem or other content, please consider making a donation to the Society of Classical Poets. The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary. Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Trending now: 19 Responses Stephanie Rowena Stewart January 10, 2018 Beautiful and i could feel your sorrow Reply Sam Gilliland January 11, 2018 Thank you, all, for your heart-warming replies. One often feels so very much alone at times like this, but it is good to know that there are friends out there who really care about others. Aye & aye, Sam. Reply Sam Gilliland January 13, 2018 Remiss of me not to respond to individual comments. My apologies, Stephanie. Perhaps the greatest compliment a poet ever receives lies in knowing that someone, with great feeling, has read his work. Thank you! Aye & aye, Sam. Reply Joe Tessitore January 10, 2018 Remarkably powerful! As Stephanie said, I too could feel your sorrow. Well done, Sam. Reply Sam Gilliland January 13, 2018 Thank you, Joe. I trust the epigram below shall make amends for my bad manners. To span eternity with a smile And the universe in one stride Becomes the poet, and with poetic guile Conceals what lies within – outside! Aye & aye, Sam. Reply David Watt January 11, 2018 Truly moving! Sorrowful, yet uplifting. Reply Sam Gilliland January 13, 2018 Dear David, One always hopes that lines set down upon an empty page shall result in fostering the love of poetry. I thank you for contributing to that love. Aye & aye, Sam. Reply David Hollywood January 11, 2018 Poignant, forlorn and powerful. Reply Sam Gilliland January 13, 2018 Dear David, Your comment certainly helps take the bitter edge off my sorrow. One must be a poet of belief if imagery borrowed from within can, ultimately, be used in a far more positive way; which is what I am now striving towards. I reach out to offer my very sincere gratitude. Aye & aye, Sam. Reply Joseph Charles MacKenzie January 11, 2018 This is Gilliland in his most lilting and lyrical mode, perhaps the greatest love poet of our time. Reply Sam Gilliland January 13, 2018 What can I say, My Dear Joseph. Your comment underlines the obscure sense of belonging that all poets have in this vague yet powerful movement we exist in. Aye & aye, Sam. Reply Fr. Richard Libby January 12, 2018 It’s beautiful and moving. Reply Sam Gilliland January 13, 2018 Good Sir, Nothing could be more moving that the path that you follow! I am delighted that feelings engendered by this piece brought out some joy for you with its beauty. Strangely, despite my sorrow, I could not ask for a better way in which to celebrate her life. Aye & aye, Sam. Reply Allegra Silberstein January 12, 2018 What a beautiful poem…thank you. Reply Sam Gilliland January 13, 2018 And I thank you, Allegra. The soft misery of my sorrow lessens when I read such warm comments. Aye & aye, Sam. Reply Leo Yankevich January 12, 2018 Mr Gilliland, I hugely enjoyed this moving poem. Reply Sam Gilliland January 13, 2018 Delighted, Leo, even though the pain of such a loss shall stay with me forever, it is heartening to know that joy can surface from such a tragedy. My sincere thanks. Aye & aye, Sam Reply James Sale January 22, 2018 A beautiful and moving poem; I really like your work, Sam. Reply Anne Keating May 21, 2024 Iam the partner of Robert (Martin) Gilliland. Your brother Son. He was talking about you, so I goggled you and found this most beautiful poem. Hope to hear back Reply Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. 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Sam Gilliland January 11, 2018 Thank you, all, for your heart-warming replies. One often feels so very much alone at times like this, but it is good to know that there are friends out there who really care about others. Aye & aye, Sam. Reply
Sam Gilliland January 13, 2018 Remiss of me not to respond to individual comments. My apologies, Stephanie. Perhaps the greatest compliment a poet ever receives lies in knowing that someone, with great feeling, has read his work. Thank you! Aye & aye, Sam. Reply
Joe Tessitore January 10, 2018 Remarkably powerful! As Stephanie said, I too could feel your sorrow. Well done, Sam. Reply
Sam Gilliland January 13, 2018 Thank you, Joe. I trust the epigram below shall make amends for my bad manners. To span eternity with a smile And the universe in one stride Becomes the poet, and with poetic guile Conceals what lies within – outside! Aye & aye, Sam. Reply
Sam Gilliland January 13, 2018 Dear David, One always hopes that lines set down upon an empty page shall result in fostering the love of poetry. I thank you for contributing to that love. Aye & aye, Sam. Reply
Sam Gilliland January 13, 2018 Dear David, Your comment certainly helps take the bitter edge off my sorrow. One must be a poet of belief if imagery borrowed from within can, ultimately, be used in a far more positive way; which is what I am now striving towards. I reach out to offer my very sincere gratitude. Aye & aye, Sam. Reply
Joseph Charles MacKenzie January 11, 2018 This is Gilliland in his most lilting and lyrical mode, perhaps the greatest love poet of our time. Reply
Sam Gilliland January 13, 2018 What can I say, My Dear Joseph. Your comment underlines the obscure sense of belonging that all poets have in this vague yet powerful movement we exist in. Aye & aye, Sam. Reply
Sam Gilliland January 13, 2018 Good Sir, Nothing could be more moving that the path that you follow! I am delighted that feelings engendered by this piece brought out some joy for you with its beauty. Strangely, despite my sorrow, I could not ask for a better way in which to celebrate her life. Aye & aye, Sam. Reply
Sam Gilliland January 13, 2018 And I thank you, Allegra. The soft misery of my sorrow lessens when I read such warm comments. Aye & aye, Sam. Reply
Sam Gilliland January 13, 2018 Delighted, Leo, even though the pain of such a loss shall stay with me forever, it is heartening to know that joy can surface from such a tragedy. My sincere thanks. Aye & aye, Sam Reply
Anne Keating May 21, 2024 Iam the partner of Robert (Martin) Gilliland. Your brother Son. He was talking about you, so I goggled you and found this most beautiful poem. Hope to hear back Reply