Almighty mother of the Erotes
Whose arrows excite and impel
Whose persuasion none can resist
Ineluctable charms draw ever upward
Recalling soul to her source
Setting a divine spark within
Enkindling there an all-consuming flame.
Yet sometimes, softly, in silence,
You whisper to me, “Rest.”
And this, too, is love.
Tag: 50-word poems
Anam Cara
The gifts of true friends:
Sharing both joy and burdens,
Making light heavy loads, with
Hands, heart, speech, shared silence.
To see, to be seen
In a clear, polished mirror –
Not as we might seem,
But truly, in the depths.
Rest, comfort, safe and secure,
Side by side, in peace.
(May 2019)
Evening Song
In the darkness, twin candles burn brightly at your shrine, illumine you Nine Holy Muses, who illumine me in turn. You breathe in the incense – breathe into me, I pray; inspire me by your presence. You for whom honeyed tapers burn down – lay upon me gifts from your sacred beehives.
(May 2020)
To See and Be Seen
To see and be seen: Gift of gifts, dearest treasure. To gaze beyond the body, Past the surface, plumb depths So rich, yet rarely beheld. Eye a window on spirit, A tiny, mirrored reflection of The truth of one’s heart. To recognize, in that encounter, A kindred soul gazing back.
(May 2019)
To Remember (For Mnemosyne)
All too often, we dismember: Rend part from part, limb From limb: opponents and enemies, Flesh of the living Earth, Even our own precious lives. Deny coherence, blot out meaning, Tear thought from thought, leaving Each one discrete, isolated, alone. Thinking “there is not, nor Ever was, a greater whole.” What would it be, if Slowly, softly, mindfully, we remember? Put our thoughts back together? Find connection, pattern through all? If we tell structured stories, With beginning, middle, and end? See each moment, each life Fitting, forming a cosmic whole? A world full of meaning, A world we might remember. Mnemosyne, Lady of Sweet Recollection, Please help us to remember.
To Terpsichore
Hail, O Terpsichore, ever flowing Blessed mistress of the dance Fluid, graceful in every motion Body bending, firm in will. Unbind the tension I bear; Unknot, unwind, and loosen me, That I, too, might move Gracefully, in love and service, Swept up in the rhythm Of your holy, sacred dance.
For the Winter Solstice
The winds blow, snows fall.
Bundle wool layers for warmth.
Leaves have fallen, branches bare,
Frozen world turns to sleep.
Turn inward, ’round the hearthfire.
Share together song and story.
Tell tales, embrace the dark.
On the longest of nights,
At midwinter, look within, then
Shout gladly: We have enough!
A blessed Solstice to all!
For the companion poem, look here.
For the Summer Solstice
The winds blow, rains come.
Bare feet touch the Earth.
Green leaves unfurl, flowers bloom,
Fruits ripen, roots sink deep.
Seas, rivers, fields and forests
Teem, overflow with abundant life:
Darting, leaping, running, soaring high.
On the longest of days,
At midsummer, raise our voices,
Sing loudly: It is well!
A blessed Solstice to all! Watch this space for a companion poem, in about six months’ time. 😉
A reminder
One quiet evening, taking things
Perhaps too easy on myself.
Here at my patrons’ shrine,
A reminder, a holy prompting:
“Look! See what is possible!
Will you go deeper, strive
For more, reach the heights?
Now, tonight, do the work!”
Praise, thanks for this call.
May I never grow complacent.
On a granite mountain peak
On a granite mountain peak
I recline on cool stone:
The bones of the Earth
Once stripped bare by glaciers,
Home now to intrepid lichen.
Wind blows, fog settles in:
I rest within flowing cloud,
Held up solidly, lovingly sustained
By the rich Telluric currents
Welling up from depths below.
barefootwisdom 