The World

the sun, the shine,
the shadows fall beneath the trees,
tranquil trance of leaves, triumphant,
leaning, lofty, lovely, light

the love, the lost, the found, the learning,
light of love, looping flight
flight to night, the moon, the stars,
stars that lead the navigator

star of wonder, star of hope
tent of sky, singing songs
sounds of battle, lullaby and funeral marches
swords and strangers, the strong, the mighty

might have been, may be still, morning comes,
comes with chimes, chime of bell,
bells of silver, shiver, shatter, shards,
sentinels of silence, stone

stones in water, stones in sea,
the rivers rush, rolling, waters rising into cloud,
rain and rainbow. what of us?
What of us? we were. we are.

walking, wandering, wondering why,
where and when, will it, wont it come again
the sun, the shine and is this all?
are we really all so small?

the sun, the shine, a burst of light,
burgeons, blossoms, blooms and grows,
glows and gladdens, glancing eyes,
eyes that see, the world, the life unfold,
enfold, enshrine, delightful,
dancing, woven in delicious dream,
the globe, the glow, eternal, bright,
entrances me – this glorious world

Shadow Dancing

shadows dancing on the wall in firelight

music heard far off, the shade behind the waterfall,

a leaf turning in light, falling, landing rots to dust

 

the echo of a voice across a valley far away, sun sinking,

frost that silvers the hilltops, the cocks crow at dawn,

a sense that all is born to die, overpowered, as it must

 

light reflected in a lake, rainbows over cornfields,

swallows gliding on the high still air, above the wood,

the dark smell of mud, these are things i trust

 

bring what life gives or go as it will

night into day, day into night,

underneath all this one dazzling beauty,

shining bright,

burning light,

conquering fruitless fear

 

 

adieu

sorrow sat on the chimney pot

in the form of a solitary magpie

 

joy flew in to join him

but it winged away

and sorrow followed after

 

a dove came to coo on the garden wall

adieu, adieu, adieu

The Fiddler

twinkling stars above

pierce through evening mists

to shine on the fiddlers strings

this is a night of trysts

 

flowing with the harp strings, strummed water

the autumn leaves swim about like goldfish

awaiting winters frozen fingers, sore with playing

 

seeking, hunting, yearning, he turns to the lament

an autumn leaf falling, aimless, from the tree

brown scented, old wood, soaked in years of wishing

 

he lives to travel, moving, burning,

desiring, to be somewhere other than here

the tune plays on, long after he is gone

 

his music filled me up

gladly golden, red and green,

imbued in his sweet dream

remembered in the song

 

remembered in the song

 

Twenty-Four Shipwrecks ~ a haibun

How many wrecks in the uncharted depths? Century after century of shipwrecks, seaweed shrouded and armoured in barnacles, iron ribbed rusted skeletons of the vessels they were.

Sea born we are by that life giving ocean that can swallow men whole, drowning in storms, when dark clouds are broiling.

Lost sailors bones rest on the bottom at a depth that is deeper than the height of the highest of mountains ~ fish eat their flesh, their bones a part of the sea ~ they rest there from war, work, exploration ~ they rest there now in water rocked graves where no sunlight, starlight nor moonlight can ever reach in the ebb and the flow and the sway of deep tides.

 

stars hidden in cloud

winds howl darkness, no mercy

a wave wall, a void

 

sea throat swallows, whole,

spinning, deep to sea grave,

sand grains their worn bones

 

wind drop, empty light,

nothing there on the surface

tranquil cloud mirror glass

 

 

(the title Twenty Four Shipwrecks refers to a figure I saw online when reading about Trawler Fishing in Britain – twenty-four was stated as the number of trawlers lost each year)

In the Garden of the Gods

 

they are not far away, they are near

the old gods cry out to us

from beneath city streets

come closer, if you would hear

 

the moon is hidden in daylight

waiting to light the path of the night

in silvery tones and pearl

come closer, if you would hear

 

the trees whisper a constant prayer

the voice of the leaves, the dance of the branch

the breath of exchange that holds us all

come closer, if you would hear

 

the rivers run out, the veins of all life

the clouds pour down a blessing

the sea is the constantly beating heart

come closer, if you would hear

 

above the rooftops venus shines

the daidem, a star, entwined in her twilight hair

she sings the song of the life spark and the long dark

come closer, if you would hear

 

they are not far away, they are always here

the world is a garden for which we must care

before the old gods slip silent away

come closer, if you would hear

The Moonlight Lamp – a book

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=a.gouedard

This is a collection of poems – some have appeared in my posts here and some have not

Old Love

there was no need of explanations

when all was accepted and understood

 

sunlight filled the clearing

a path of soft grass

lead through the wood

the rapids on the river

a source of delight,

exhilaration, excitement

the boat spinning and whirling

a reason for laughter

as we clung closer

what cared we for danger

when in evening we returned

to sit warmly wrapped

at the fireside, together

 

the paths have become hidden

overgrown with bramble and thorn

twisting back on themselves

the Prince in the fairytale

hacks with his sword

to find his way through

to the sleeping Princess

who waits alone, for a kiss,

only a kiss and a promise,

in stories he is never exhausted

you don’t hear tales of his scars

he always succeeds

what a miracle worker he is

what a wonder to behold

astride his white horse

shining in silver armour

despite the darkness

 

there is a path where the rich scent

of old fallen leaves fills the air

the banks of this path are cut deeply

amongst the roots of the ancient trees

they hold the path, embraced,

they are not there to trip us

but to keep the way open ahead

the road is old and worn

 

Words

‘Sticks and stones may break my bones

but words will never hurt me.’

Ha! who arrived at that

pat down potted wisdom

shrugging off truth

with an easy phrase and a lie

 

Words are life savers and killers,

blessing givers, tormentors, thieves

they can make you grovel

they can make you free

they can make you feel loved,

wanted and cared for, or

disgraced, misplaced, dispossessed

 

words are power

words are spells

one misplaced word

side-tracks, sharp edges, confusions

all is lost and undone

 

don’t ask me to speak with words

let me show you, not tell you

give me the language of eyes and skin

my hand in your hair, the quiet night air,

the bird song, the breeze, the river

my arm under your head,

your breathe in my ear,

tangled limbs,

these are the words of love