moonwoman
they saw a light where there had only been the dark
they saw a shadow where there had not been a soul
they heard a song where there had been only silence
they saw smoke where there had not been a fire
they saw a chain of geese
they saw the door ajar in the night and the day, it
was never bolted but for the time of the dark moon… no light then and no
shadows, the birds had flown and the shutters were closed….but they still heard
the singing, more like a humming then and a keening on those very dark nights.
someone said they saw her catching moonbeams
someone said they saw her weaving them into a gown
they said they saw her naked by the water
she had laid out the gown on the hard sand
and
walked into the sea
and
her body cleansed as in baptism of the Gods around her
she put on her glowing gown and waited still until the birds came gliding to
her in a chain…
…and…
… they called to her and she called back, sang the
song of the sea to them and of the wind and they carried her into the night
towards the crescent of the waxing moon…
they turned their silver over, turned over their gold
they hurried on by
but saw her fold up her gown
and saw also just how old she had grown
said she told them to dance to her singing
to sway in the wind and the song of the sea
and youth’s promise theirs forever would be…
…and every night they saw her dancing by the water
chanting and singing
she folded her fading gown on the hard sand
and
she drew a circle, stood quite still within…
she raised her arms and lifted her face which grew
young once more as the moon kissed her cheek
her body lovely again in the light around her…
…that bound her…
the wind and the waves of the receding tide swallowed
her words but still they heard…
I am
the Mother of all things,
My
love is poured upon the earth.
I
drink you with my perfect love,
Be
cleansed,
Be
healed.
Be
changed….
Be
healed
Be
cleansed
I
drink you with my perfect love,
Which
pours upon the earth.
I am
the Mother of all things….
and every night they ran away
and the next night they would return,
such power had her spell of love…
such yearning in their souls…
they watched her catching moonbeams
they watched her putting on her gown when she was
done, to take them home to weave on the dark moon when the nights were black…
it was hard work for her to weave her gown as in this
time she wearied and grew old, her fingers gnarled and stiffened but it was for
her to do to bless the earth, to bless all creatures of the earth and she knew
that youth would be restored to her again when she laid aside the gown that she
had worn to cleanse the sea and she would again walk into the water and put on
the new gown she had woven…when she would once more draw the circle in the sand
with the ebbing of the tide waiting for her chain of birds…to take her to her
moon….
and
the shutters let in the light once more
they heard her song
they saw her shadow
they saw light
and they were safe
and reassured
that all was as it was
that all was well
and
what they had grown to know….
