VOTE! 2011 IMBOLC/LUGHNASADH LONG POEM

[Earthwoman]

Notice: Please use the poll to cast vote(s) for your favorite long poems. You cannot select more than three. ONLY those votes submitted to the poll will be tallied. Votes submitted as posts below will not be counted.

[MeadowLark]

Daughter of the Earth

A mother's child,
Enveloped within her,
Suspended,
Between land and sky.

Her gentle hand
Calms her restless child,
Cleanses and coddles,
With power and grace.

She entices her daughter,
To love,
To share,
To give.

Her voice reverberates,
An infinite etching
Within the soul of her seed.

Her daughter knows,
The smell, the sight, the sound;
Her Mother's love,
Displayed in all that is.

Her daughter knows, too,
That she is not permanent,
But her essence,
Will always be.

For in her kindness,
Her love for all things;
In her stillness
And understanding,
She will leave herself behind.

And when her Mother holds her,
Cold within the soil,
She knows,
Then, too, she will live on,
Nourishing her Mother,
As her Mother
Nourished her.

[Belbara]

The Bardic Gift

I never knew
That my head is a globe
With a whole world inside
Vibrant, alive and shoreless

I never knew
That my heart is a harp
Alive and quivering
With each falling drop of dew
With each moon, full or new

I never knew
That my body is a landscape
With dindsenchas of its own
Where the blackness of my brow,
The colour of my eyes
The little scar touching my hairline
Each have a story of their own to tell

Too often I forget

But each time when I venture out
Each time when sun kisses my face with warmth
Each time when sky kisses my skin with raindrops
Each time when bramble marks my thigh and tears my skirt
Trying to hold me back, to keep me
where my origin is…

I remember:
The world is inside me
As I am inside the world

And I stop to be alone
Just in the moment I decide
to be
with me

[wyeuro]

they brought down law.

they came in fleets of sailing ships,
some free, but most in chains.
they built their towns and cleared their fields
upon these fertile plains.

and they explored on foot, on horse,
on camel, and by sea,
and found the land already home
to people proud and free.

a people with an ancient law
as old as stars above. . .
with trepidation now they watched
these men devoid of love.

they saw the shackled convict slaves
flogged half to death and worse.
they heard their howls of agony,
they heard the tyrants’ curse.

and in their time they suffered too,
cruel conquest with the gun.
they could do nothing in defence,
but drop their spears and run.

the trees and mountains saw it all,
the wild bush creatures too,
koala, emu, terrapin,
snake, crow and kangaroo.

and as the land had always done
it held its magic rites,
communing with the dreamtime stars
all through the fear-filled nights.

they gathered like a zodiac
round sacred uluru,
and talked and planned and danced and sang
and made strong magic, too.

they clapped and chanted for their laws
of gentleness and peace
to put an end to slavery
and give the slaves release.

they brought down law on all of us
it’s spirit true and strong
in justice and equality,
for slavery is wrong!

for in this deep and timeless land
of landscapes harsh and wild
there is a sacred promise made
to every newborn child

for every child’s a universe
a-blaze with living stars -
within this law of sacredness
we’re all great avatars.

we need good lives, rich lands, safe homes,
our children strong and healthy,
with education free for all,
not only for the wealthy.

this law comes down upon us all,
unspoken, yet well-known –
this sacred earth must be made free
and safe for everyone.

[Mellinda]

Earth Mothers lament

As I walk this land, I see litter everywhere
Have I not given you this world, this land
Of trees, plants, animals, and mighty rivers
And this is how you treat it
Why? Do you despise my gift

Look at the concrete where once there was a meadow
Where wild flowers bloomed once, of every kind
Sweet perfume drifting on the air, to lighten the soul
Herbs grew that cure and healed
Why? Don’t you like the smell of earth

I walk by the river, now with sadness in my heart
Plastic bottles and shopping trolleys
Bin bags full of rubbish and bear cans floating by
Fish floundering in all the rubbish
Why? do you not like the rivers of life

Today I saw a barren land that once was full of trees
No life there, the monkeys, birds and insects long gone
Not a sound, where once songs of every kind was heard
Buzzing, whooping, whistling and chattering birds
Why? Did you not like their songs

Now I no longer wish to walk this barren land
You seem to care not for my gift
Do you wish me to bring this world to an end
And spare you from a long drawn out death
Why? Not just finish it quick instead?

Do you not think? That I don’t see you destroying my land
The world I so lovingly created for you
There is sadness and anger that is welling up inside
That I no longer can contain
Why? Do you make me so hurt and angry

But all is not lost yet? You still have time
You could change my mind and soothe this pain
Clean up the rivers, replant the trees
Listen to the songs of nature playing in the trees
Why! You could make this land live again

I need to see you treasure my gifts
To put out this anger before I can take no more
Saw seeds of life on this land not death
Then I will walk with you on this land in Peace and love
Why? Would you not like this gift so nearly lost


By L F Tallis (Mellinda)
2011-01-12

[somerled]

THE ISLES

many decades ago
when the sun couldn’t reach
over the mountain top
and our days passed
in dark shadows,
we were shown
the way to the isles

so we build
some light boats
and we followed
these sacred calls
of seals or gods
or other powers,
it was impossible to know

almost immediately
we discovered
the strength of the isles,
and we lost
some good men
that were taken
by the sea

but the isles
gave us so much
to live for,
and we thought
we gave them
some protection
in return

although the isles
protected themselves
in their own
ancient and
mystic ways,
as if they just
tolerated us

and all we did
was showing respect
to those forces
we didn’t
fully understand,
but we felt
in every day life

it was
in the power
of water and wind
and
it was
in the mystery
of mist and mountain

it was
in the strongness
of stars and stones
and
it was
in the fertility
of forest and field

it was
in the sacredness
of sea and sand
and
it was
in the beauty
of bay and beach

and if you
will visit
the isles today,
you still
may feel
those powers
of long ago

and if you
show them respect,
they still
might give you
a glimpse
of long forgotten
mysteries

[Templetree]

Excalibur.

Oh the way, in the mist, in the dead of the night
There’s a halo round the moon glowing bright
A swooping owl carries mice to feed the younglings grow.
Conifers fan the glowing haze.
Crackles in the leaves as the red deer graze.
Quiet of the midnight thrill.
The lake there: so deep, so smooth, so still.
A frog jumps splashing the ripples grow.
The rushes rustle, as an otter slinks & flows
Into the mysterious, unfathomable pool,
Her eyes blaze hot, the water so cool.
Then the silence sits so on the hidden vale,
Just the murmur of a breeze wafts fresh & pale.
Oh vessel of the jewel, brimming abundance, deep the age,
As a dark brown cow’s eye seeing from the centre of the stage.
Oh shimmering kiss of prince’s slumber dream in the willow,
Up on a stretching limb, wide with constant halo.
The root of lake’s spirit be a stirred by remembrance.
Ye ol’ stone markers made his way to find this treasure,
Of a deep & restful sleep in the arms of his sweet maker,
Now the journey of the guiding lady lake swirls from the centre
Of the earth brimming fire, shapens a blade, to rise in hand,
The liquid parts & the femininity raises our goddess unseen, flowing,
Holds high the keenest diamond, fettered edge sword,
Carved by the oldest elves, hand sure & swiftly sculpted,
To embraven this dear boy, harking to a man,
With restful surity, this gift is laid onto his chest.
His sleep goes on until the larksong rises the sun from his dear breast.
The first day’s breath, oh mountains grow, his hand reaches & he finds
The keys to the winning of his heart’s desire’s quest.
The dawn is broke, the air be crisp, the dew sweet on his brow.
Moos wild in the distance, sheep a baaing, free cockerel crows.
No trace of lady lake, just now this sword with sapphire embrazened prow.
He smiles & graces to the sweet grass & glows in the sun’s fire on his knees,
Sword pointed to the earth, held in both hands, tears flowing down his cheeks.
A bow to love, his bow on back, his sword raises to the sun
A salute to dear God for sending him help to receive his true love
Qulick qulick his stallion gallops to his side, through the trees,
Raring to seize the day,
The willow bows back, the ducks came to say,
“We love you our Prince, go get her again”
Quack quack they laugh & turn, He swiftly mounts his steed,
The day is hot, the sky is clear,
The mountains rise before him.
Oh gallop swift, oh splendid bearer.
Truth to come to the hidden castle,
The songbirds sing the way so bold,
These tracks so resting, waiting.

She lays so still, her Father, The King,
Grey with prayer on his throne,
He wins.

To Be

Here by the range & the beam cosy bright,
Sit we daring a word to the heart’s might.
By the twisted old oak & the range find,
A love constant glows, in the meadow’s eye.

Sit we to drink on the gentleman’s way.
So keen to the detail of the best day.
In my blood rising an energy clear,
How to be so young, so old, steers to here?

No question, the calmness heralds a storm,
With talk of the one place all in one to all.
Oh to find the self waking, with my one in eyes
Of mine feeling the handle turning tight.

What am I to thinking, burly one to love.
Greater than any seen with these set eyes.
Young as the fresh dew falls on those petals,
Forced by the spring, ready to revel in,

Bounding enticement, animal to brain,
Comes to here, tickles the senses’ reign,
From a time past, unmentioned by memory,
From before this life, coming from a dream.

There’s a presence on the eye I can love,
So rapture, capture the maiden by dove,
Fly to the side for one to know the dream,
Leave with a whisper to let you find me.

It’s the only way you would know I care,
So I let you chase, as a free bear
& you may strike me down with your wants too,
As your wish is my command, through & through.

I may be younger than you, older too,
As you are older than I, younger too.
You are still bigger than I, know you do,
As I am bigger than you, know me true.

So as we stand in eyes, catch the moment,
So fast, yet all image clear, still here now,
Your eyes, sharp to know how to here,
Sent there I did, felt your surge as you thought.


Then you look to me to see if I feel,
As I look to you to see it was you,
So we catch for a brief shot the feeling,
Of the thrust of the deepest, true meaning.

And for you I’d love every time purely,
For myself as I do as is right to.
And you send a surge of explicit grace,
I feel you inside me from as far as

Wherever you be. Comes to me, blowing
A throb of the highest luxury bites,
Quivering, soaked I fall at your huge feet.
Quality evokes the virginal dream.

Lay us down in the bluebell meadow love,
We’re in a time of our own, sweet blossom,
Opens through the years. for one who can steer,
The way to an explosive plethora,

Bursting petals cover the meadow soft.
Bluebells are ringing the way to the yews.
Casks of oaked steeped well to heavy goblet.
& I’ll sit on your lap boyo, hold you,
& you’ll know me the lady of your heart
Make you a man as you are so strong.
Bred to be real as the pure driven snow
I feel you, you feel me, I know, you know.

I’ll love you, hold you close & go with you,
As you’ll love me, hold me dear & come all.
And we’ll travel the world to it’s reaches.
& then go on & on to the huge light, standing tall.

Then you’ll drive your seed in me & I’ll grow,
Round with our young heirs to the far ol’ hills.
& we’ll raise them in the green & they’ll know,
The ways to be strong as the heather grows.

& I’ll do anything for you, you ask,
Of the good, through the snow, we’ll make all love.
I’m ready for you now, as you’re ready.
You’re so young & such an old soul.

It seems I have something to say of you.
Why these hands work for you, you see,
You’re so very laid back, can see it’s me.
All my time feeling you coming for me.

To show the world how passion strikes with love,
Physical theatre, physical music.
To the ears, throw me on the bed, none have done,
As you’ll do to me, all is said, to bed!

Prayer

Choice to think.
No thought left.
Blank empty shell of a mind.
What is left?
Choice of a prayer.
An ember, still glowing
Under cascades of rubble.
Wipe away the tears,
And splintered shards,
To gently blow on this speck.
Such a tiny space occupied
So furiously by solitary white remains.
Only focus left,
To nurture the given flame,
Easing just a spark,
To spring into fire once again.
Deeply inhaled the drive of a breath,
Lonely compass,
Dark everywhere,
Words of Angels,
Soothing my pain.
No choice but to ease this tiny fire,
Finding twigs to build a blaze.
Staying by this only special place,
Shielding the little baby flame.
No point of contact with anyone else,
No words to say,
No choice left.
Only a simple remedy,
By the comfort of this special place,
Grows the sight of a dream.
As the heat of each dancing fork
Shows life to the soul,
The prayer of what was left behind,
To glow mightily once & for all.
Sweet delicate prayer,
For this dream of life to unfold.

Caroline.

[Leil]

Song of the Yew


How to speak of it?

I went to the yew in the ancient grove
of which there are two, one on each side
of the shaft leading down.

And I spoke the lines of the spell to the tree
and I danced to the yew
I danced to the yew
I danced to the yew
and I bowed to the earth and heard the bones
stirring in the darkness and the stillness of death.

And I stood to the tree and it spoke to me.

And skyclad I became for that tree
naked as a girl, neklace gone
painted with the juice of the fruit
untouched by the poison
bold, resolute
I turned and settled against the tree;
dissolved into the ancient wood
dissolved into the ancient green.

And this is the secret and song of the yew:
to be emptied of your supposed self
the gift of your life in the Calieach's hand
given and taken without shame or blame;
the journey into and beneath and within
begins with a death
begins with a death
so many different kinds of breath
cessation of breath
cessation of life
from only one can you return.

So this is the song of the yew:
dissolving the self
one goes in
one comes out.

The Calieach looks toward the spring.

[Crimson Stormfire]

I can feel your warm breath against me,
Whispers of long ages past,
distant laughter greets my ears,
A perfume of a thousand flowers
i smell with you.
Life returns to me, as you call,
my love

Your hot breath
breathing down the length of me,
Your perfume of fire and char
Jokes and whimsy you bring me now
as my passion for you burns
you roar with the storms that come
as the sun again warms us.
my passion

your cooling breath against my limbs comforts me,
I smell your perfume again its changed,
laced with sweet smells of soul-cakes and ale
of dampened leaves and pumpkin spices.
I am drowsy in our late day as you
whisper sweetly to me
dream..dream...dream
and i sleep.
my life

Your icy deathlike howls cannot wake
this slumbering giant under your spell.
You howl and shriek,
Freeze and break small parts of me.
Even in your ice cage fury
i love you still.
my queen.

my love
you, my life, my love.
My wife,
the wind
and i, your king,
the oak
I will love you as you me.
forever.

[Earthwoman]

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