Take me to the well of healing
That lies at the end of the hillside
And I will find peace there
In the sound of the clear water
And the pure sky Lay out the herbs of healing
At my feet
Vervain, mistletoe, meadowsweet
And we shall sit awhile by the ancient well
And be strengthened again
With the waters borne from the mighty ocean
And the brown earth beneath our feet
And there shall be silent ringing peace
In our souls

I'll see you on that healing hillside.


Written By Rachel Burch 28/3/2012

This was the year
I opened my heart
And the dark met with light
Amongst shouting green fields
I ran with friends across tent
Filled hills
And we shared our quiet secrets there
For all the world to hear;
For the stone strewn streams to listen
And the silent ever giving trees to bear witness.

This was the year I moved and made waves
Hung the pictures of my soul on whitewashed
Walls, and people gathered and read the traces
Of my earth browned hands there.
This was the year I reached
And grasped the sun filled future
With both browned hands
And I can hear the echo now
Of words work done,
Shout quietly back off the hills
In this gentle Winter
And my friends wait open handed
At the gateway
I join them.

When the river of words runs dry
And the sparkled silence comes.
When tender moments falter
And the green lanes shimmer
May the light of summer be held there
And carried with you
Across the histories of our truth

To the sea sanded footsteps of your shores
And may you keep it there
To light the waves of your hearts.

In the dark kindled moments before the fire sparks
Hold my warm memory in the flames of your story.
(May 2011)

Surfers like seals dot the ocean
Out in this swell, the salt laden pull
Anchors me in the wide bay
As the sand smooth as silk
Trails the briny tide.

I look back against the sun sparkled shore
As the footprints of my truth follow me
As I stand watching the waves break
And fall, their grey veined song echoes through me

And I feel complete now here at this
Otherworldy edge, the bold striped pebbles
Sit at my feet as unspoken words
More truths as yet to be undiscovered
Green dancing journeys  stretch out amongst the waves
And this solitary happiness resounds silently across the Bay.

I can feel her change now
The shift of turf beneath our feet
The soft spotlights hit the hillsides
The colour comes back
And summer harshness fades away.
As I turn to face the long tunnel
Of the year
I can hear the hags call
Urgent yet always gentle
I know I can face her now
Look her in the eye
Explain this past year
And the sadness has gone
From my eyes
The golden leaf strewn mist
Has lifted while I wasn’t
Looking
too busy smiling loving
Friending
So when she calls now
Her leaf blown nut fuelled
Whisper
I’m ready

I realise that I love this winter
And it is now
Suddenly, the trees show their gentle branches
To the world, silver white against
The broad sky
The birds sing their shrill prayers
By day and the owl murmur their own words
At night to the silver moon
And there we are hunched, buried in this rich earth
Nestled against deep leaved memories
I’m happy this year to curl up and wait this time
Until the silver chuckle of Spring appears again
Over the ripening hills
To spread her dulcet wings
Then she'll brush our cheeks
And wake us from this quiet earth
Ill see you on that green hillside.
7/12/11

Sweet Dark

As I walked out in the in the dark
I wondered when I would
Feel a familiar caress
A soft whisper a tender moment
Gently shared and gently held.


I walked down the granite track
And the trees stood stone sentry like in the dark.
Their words dripped silver notes
Into this song
‘Think child’, they said;
‘Of all the people who walked this way,
Thought themselves alone
We have heard them.
The wood smoked cries
Echo across the years to meet you.

You are not alone.

(The acorn etched fields shifted)
Enjoy the sweet dark
This pain will be your strength
The anchor in your harbour bound heart’.

Then they were silent and I turned back
To the bay beached barn
And a light swam through
The waves of my heart.
(Dec 2010)