The Loom of Years by Alfred Noyes

In the light of the silent stars that shine on the struggling sea,
In the weary cry of the wind and the whisper of flower and tree,
Under the breath of laughter, deep in the tide of tears,
I hear the Loom of the Weaver that weaves the Web of Years.

The leaves of the winter wither and sink in the forest mould
To colour the flowers of April with purple and white and gold:
Light and scent and music die and are born again
In the heart of a grey-haired woman who wakes in a world of pain.

The hound, the fawn, and the hawk, and the doves that croon and coo,
We are all one woof of the weaving and the one warp threads us through,
One flying cloud on the shuttle that carries our hopes and fears
As it goes thro’ the Loom of the Weaver that weaves the Web of Years.

The green uncrumpling fern and the rustling dewdrenched rose
Pass with our hearts to the Silence where the wings of music close,
Pass and pass to the Timeless that never a moment mars,
Pass and pass to the Darkness that made the suns and stars.

Has the soul gone out in the Darkness? Is the dust sealed from sight?
Ah, hush, for the woof of the ages returns thro’ the warp of the night!
Never that shuttle loses one thread of our hopes and fears,
As it comes thro’ the Loom of the Weaver that weaves the Web of Years.

O, woven in one wide Loom thro’ the throbbing weft of the whole,
One in spirit and flesh, one in body and soul,
Tho’ the leaf were alone in its falling, the bird in its hour to die,
The heart in its muffled anguish, the sea in its mournful cry,

One with the flower of a day, one with the withered moon
One with the granite mountains that melt into the noon
One with the dream that triumphs beyond the light of the spheres,
We come from the Loom of the Weaver that weaves the Web of Years.

Seeking the Nectar

the seed is small

curled up and tight

and now, given water,

it bursts through to light

the most beautiful of flowers

i inhale it’s gentle blossom

and worship its beauty for hours

 

each leaf, each petal, each pattern

the way the colour gradually changes

from the centre to the edge

every aspect as nature arranges

in intricate and elegant design

the unfolding petals curve outward

as it opens and captures the light

or closes again in shadow

a butterfly resting from flight

 

see how the stamen grows upward

from the nectar that stirs at the heart

i want to cup these petals so gently,

not crush them or thrust them apart,

taste the dew from the leaves

seeking the nectar and drinking

i want to dive into the pool,

to the source of the mystical scent

no thought in my head, not thinking

diving, swimming, sinking

breathing,

gasping,

drowning

The Book

I used to think,

in some indulgent piteous way,

that to die could be quite sweet,

a shuffling off of all things wrong,

an end of pain and transient joy,

but now I think I’d rather stay

to face the burden of the day.

Whatever comes is worth the price

of one more moment in this life

where heaven rests inside a flower.

Such things can fill the saddest hour

if we will only turn and look.

I now delay to close the book.

 

 

 

Horses and Wings

In your arms I feel water and fire,
cool streams and fountains.
I hear the beating of drums and the lyre.
I see rivers, valleys and mountains.

In your eyes I see moonlight and starlight
as they shine on the rising sea.
I see soft clouds spring open, sun bright,
and the flower that springs from the seed.

I see your eyes open wider in wonder.
I feel horses running in rain.
I seek lighting striking and thunder.
The storm takes me again.

I feel the tides as they rise
and your body as it clings.
We fly as our souls mingle and burn,
until the tide turns
and retreats in a sigh.

I give you horses,
you give me wings