The Celts
The crisp light of early morn
Was the dawning of hope and pride,
When aloft by youthful vigour borne
I mounted my colt astride.
Shield and buckler strapped I tight,
And provisions for the journey fastened;
And with one glance at my lady bright
Upon my shield emblazoned,
I took the reins and westward hastened.
*
Aldebaran
Along the way, I know not how,
My horse’s hooves struck air not ground,
And soon the Pleiades and Plough
Appeared with shimmering sound;
And stars like diamonds all around,
Shining a path of ghostly sheen,
Drew us on like a mote of dust
Caught in a silver beam;
And naught could I do but trust.
*
I Want Tomorrow
In the castle gardens’ shade
She sings a plaintive song
Of longings that ne’er do fade:
“May the morrow not tarry long,
For endless days drag on forever
‘Til her love arrive
Her heart’s bonds to sever;
And ere she die,
Her soul to kiss alive.”
*
The March of the Celts
Down to Earth we journey on,
I and my bewildered steed.
The way is hard, the light is gone,
But still my heart doth lead,
Across the moor, across the sea,
To the beat of an ancient drum,
The beat of the heart of life.
And round about the insects hum
To the sound of a distant fife.
*
Deireadh an Tuath
Mists of the damp earth rise
Wreathing ghostly forms,
Spirits long dead but wise,
Free from life’s cruel storms.
Rather than curse, they bless,
And denuded of worldly care,
With gentleness they caress
Those who close enough dare
Stop and stare.
*
The Sun in the Stream
The parting clouds reveal
A fulsome light,
Hyperion’s golden wheel,
Welcome to my sight
After such auguries of night.
The sun in the stream
Gladdens the heart
And sweetens the dream
Of which it is part.
*
To go Beyond (I)
And from across a sea
Of swirling dreams
The lilting melody
(Or so it seems)
Of a beautiful maiden
Lightens the load
With which I am laden
And paves the road
To her fair abode.
*
Fairytale
Out of the music box
Of childhood, an old tune,
Like a lullaby, rocks
To sleep the drowsy moon.
But all too soon
The years steal upon us,
Filling innocent minds
With thoughts that wrong us:
Thoughts unkind
Forge ties that bind.
*
Epona
Up ahead the horse goddess,
Riding on the winds of the north,
Comes down for a rest,
And spying us, sets forth
To set us this test:
“Whether it be best
To wed an immortal soul in death
Or a mortal soul in life?”
Ere I can take a breath,
My horse replies, “vielleicht”,
And takes the goddess to wife.
*
St. Patrick
So now on foot went I,
With shield, buckler and spear,
‘Til I came, by and by,
Upon a chapel drear,
All bereft of charm or cheer.
But entering in, a choir
Of heavenly angels did sing,
Which, like a moving fire,
To my tired soul gave wing.
*
Cú Chulainn
Thus refreshed, I marched on
Through the driving rain;
All fear was gone –
I was the hero Cú Chulainn.
No bandits or robbers could assail
A warrior so brave;
They surely must all fail,
As with a double-edged wave
I’d send them to an early grave.
*
Oisin
Through rain and fog
I fought, nail and tooth,
And came at last to Tir na n Og,
The land of perpetual youth.
Three hundred years in truth
Were but three days there,
And when I returned again
(With a sprightly young mare)
I had stayed ten.
*
Portrait (Out of the Blue)
The picture on my shield,
As though washed away with tears,
Was faded and peeled –
It had been a thousand years!
Could it be that my lady was dead?
Could it be true?
But another portrait appeared in its stead,
Of even more beautiful hue,
Out of the blue.
*
Boadicea
But where were the forest vales?
Into the distance stretched miles of sand,
As in the Arabian tales;
The green fields were a narrow band,
Everywhere else desolate wasteland.
I rode across the desert plain,
The like I had never seen,
And imagined what grief and pain
Must have befallen Boadicea queen.
*
Bard dance
From the bitter tears that fell
Upon the parchèd ground
There formed a bardic spell
That spread for miles around.
The grass sprang up lush and lean,
The strong trees pushed up hard,
And all decked in green
And spangle-starred,
Danced the magical bard.
*
Dan y Dŵr
By the shore
I found me a boat
Fast moored,
And setting it afloat,
Cast off across the moat.
Beneath the waters
That I troubled,
The memories of sons and daughters
Bubbled.
*
To go Beyond (II)
Down wafted the maiden’s song
From the castle on high.
The journey was long
And the years had slipped by;
Though it may wink, time never lies.
I climbed the grassy knoll
With flowers in my arms;
I heard a bell toll,
There, where she sleeps, safe from harm.
the way of the holy mushroom 