P. Ferguson image, August 2024)
John Mcnaughton’s Walk (Part Two)
There must be a plan to the intermittent church bells we hear from St. Peter’s, Ieper (Ypres). Try, as we do, the logic escapes us. It is, as if, someone keeps watch.
From the McGill Honour Roll 1914-1918”
(Canadian Virtual War Memorial)
Today is our John Macnaughton walk (+ cycle) to Dickebusch New Military Cemetery to keep a promise once written to visit with the son, Ian Robert Reekie Macnaughton. Our bicycles have been secured, we will be off shortly. Before we go…a few thoughts…a preamble…about a fluttering visitor to Menin Gate.
Covered in the activity of restoration, only some of the Menin Gate’s names are visible to be read, scanned upwards and side to side whilst others point to names perhaps of some connection. The Last Post continues to be played every night at 8:00 PM. But on this one night amongst the crowd, a singular messenger darts between persons in search of an arch to fly away. For those of us in search of messengers we have our familiar. We have found our arch.
P. Ferguson image, August 2024.
With some reckoning of our trail and with a fair sense of direction we head south-east and arrive at Dickebusch. It is not unnoticed that as we arrive the church bells ring eleven times. We glide to the site just beyond the church. Two cemeteries on opposite sides of the roadway. We walk…I read each name of the Canadians here and reach Ian.
P. Ferguson image (reversed), August 2024.
As I stand and sight-read each chiselled line my mind travels to my silent thoughts. It is here that your father once stood. It is here that the words of your father were spoken. Oh my dear boy…today…is about you and your father, souls known in passing, by my reading of small notes in contemporary pages. With this walk, this journey of many years before, I am empathetic to walk these former steps…to suspect the nature of John Macnaughton’s thoughts and of his anticipation of being together once again…oh my dear boy.
P. Ferguson image, August 2024.
As the wind blows across this garden of loss, it remains in this peace…still…a site of conflict. I am glad we have visited but no longer do the bells ring…we have reached our arch…the bells will ring again.
—-SNIP—-
26 August 2024
for 25 August 2024