Two
Poems from West Wales
Margaret and Graham
Matthews, our friends
in West Wales live
in splendid isolation in an
old mill in the
heart of a beautifully wooded
area of the country.
Here they offer two
excerpts from their
Seasonal Ceremonies.
Prelude
to the Autumn Equinox
Fruit
of the Fire, the Sun ripens all.
Bere-stem
and barley, corn standing tall.
Fattens
the fruit till at last it must fall.
Wheat
and oatcake, sweet ryebread.
Fruit
of the Earth I hold in my hand,
Grown
by our Great Earth Mother's command.
Plenty
while Winter covers the land.
Root
and stem, bulb and pod.
Fruit
of the Water, fruit of the vine,
Magical
liquid, sparkling wine -
Gift
of The Lady at her design.
Blackberry,
may-berry, elder so fine.
Fruit
of the Air I pluck from the tree,
Hanging
profusely for all to see.
Swelled
by the Sun and kissed by the bee.
Berry
and acorn, mast and nut.
Fruit
of the Spirit binds us in love
Where'er
upon the Earth we may rove.
As
it below, so is it above.
Seed
renewing, Goddess and God.
Copyright © Margaret
Matthews 1998
Yule
Exposition
Without
light
Without
illumination
Is
the hall of the Lord of Death
(Full
of memories that Dark King)
- A red sunset
A devouring hill
Year's End
And the silence of the tomb
Cold
Mist
Like
a pall
Icy
rime upon Her velvet couch
(Asleep
and dreaming that Bright Queen)
- The fighting of two brothers
And the one who died
The wren in the holly bush
And a robin's clear song
A
grey dawn
Flakes
of snow
The
Queen cries out in painful labour
And
Death gives way to Life's rebirth
- A baby crying
A warm glow
Light upon the Spiral maze
And carols in the tomb
The
Wheel has turned
Another
year begins
- Green Man
Oak King
Golden Prince
SUN CHILD!
Copyright © Graham
Matthews 1998
POETRY
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