Though the Flames

May 1st is in the traditional old Celtic calendar, the festival of Beltane, where fires would be lit. Here is a poem to celebrate Beltane...

Though the Flames
 
The tribe placed stone foundation
On earth where Shaman heard
That this was the location.
By water and the bird;
In skies above he sought her,
And far off soon espied;
But she was old, death took her,
And falling fast, she died.
 
And where she fell, location,
Upon this, sky touched earth,
Here writ in bone notation,
One sign, for hope rebirth;
A phoenix falling blesses,
The Shaman senses mood,
The wind that soft caresses,
A time for grace renewed.
 
Stone dolmen shall not perish,
Yet decay will still descend,
Remnant alone to cherish,
And help us to transcend;
Though bones to dust turn later,
And white moss makes stone pale,
Against those her creator,
Will never wholly fail.
 
The place of might and wonder,
Of shades of past possessed,
While stone is rent asunder,
And stolen, disposed;
Yet the tribal watch is keeping,
Their shadows growing long,
And as they watch, in weeping,
Still few will hear their song.

In heartbreak, tribulation,
As nations waging war,
And tribes facing starvation,
High waves destroy the shore;
And where is hope victorious,
Yet stone survives still blest,
And gives us vision glorious,
Of times to be at rest
 
Sacred fires bring reunion,
Of moon goddess and sun;
And here the tribe's communion,
Of hope revived is won;
All are earth's sons and daughters,
And reaches out her hand,
Through many flames and waters,
To bless us in our land;
 
Burn Beltane Fires so holy,
And bless all who come as we,
The flames consume so slowly,
All grief and sorrow free;
They break apart the chains,
That bind us, patterns tied,
And take from us our pains;
That  joy within abide!