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#merlin
Next door the king who’d **** a sorcerer on sight, Merlin is living plain. He nods at me on the street; we know what secrets can do to the sane.
0
Sep 1, 2020
Sep 1, 2020 at 12:42 AM UTC
Day 167: Hiding
Wide open, percolation I breathe in, my own natural rhythm I feel my entire being open -- to myself. I feel sensations, but it is not dramatic Sometimes gentle stillness; Other times, downpours ecstatic Such fullness, in all that I AM, And; Simultaneously empty I AM here,              I feel movement                          As it perfectly gushes through me An absolute trust            Not in something else anymore                      But in who I AM                              And it never fades I allow myself now             My spirit alive,       Constantly singing                     the song of my soul Magic was always real           Just as I knew                  A harmonious reunion, here with you                           As I now live my truth.
0
Jul 15, 2020
Jul 15, 2020 at 5:09 AM UTC
Magi
The Last Enchantment by Michael R. Burch Oh, Lancelot, my truest friend, how time has thinned your ragged mane and pinched your features; still you seem though, much, much changed—somehow unchanged. Your sword hand is, as ever, ready, although the time for swords has passed. Your eyes are fierce, and yet so steady meeting mine ... you must not ask. The time is not, nor ever shall be, for Merlyn’s words were only words; and now his last enchantment wanes, and we must put aside our swords ... Originally published by Trinacria. Keywords/Tags: Lancelot, King Arthur, Arthurian, Merlin, round table, knights, sword, swords, England, stone, Excalibur, chivalry, Camelot, loyalty, friendship, magic, prophecy, Once and Future King, Celtic, Anglo-Saxon Northern Flight: Lancelot's Last Love Letter to Guinevere by Michael R. Burch "Get thee to a nunnery..." Now that the days have lengthened, I assume the shadows also lengthen where you pause to watch the sun and comprehend its laws, or just to shiver in the deepening gloom. But nothing in your antiquarian eyes nor anything beyond your failing vision repeals the night. Religion's circumcision has left us worlds apart, but who's more wise? I think I know you better now than then— and love you all the more, because you are ... so distant. I can love you from afar, forgiving your flight north, far from brute men, because your fear's well-founded: God, forbid, was bound to fail you here, as mortals did. Originally published by Rotary Dial These Arthurian poems by Michael R. Burch are based on mysterious ancient Celtic myths that predate by centuries the Christianized legends most readers are familiar with. At Tintagel by Michael R. Burch That night, at Tintagel, there was darkness such as man had never seen... darkness and treachery, and the unholy thundering of the sea... In his arms, who is to say how much she knew? And if he whispered her name... "Ygraine" could she tell above the howling wind and rain? Could she tell, or did she care, by the length of his hair or the heat of his flesh,... that her faceless companion was Uther, the dragon, and Gorlois lay dead? Originally published by Songs of Innocence, then subsequently by Celtic Twilight, Fables, Fickle Muses and Poetry Life & Times Isolde's Song by Michael R. Burch Through our long years of dreaming to be one we grew toward an enigmatic light that gently warmed our tendrils. Was it sun? We had no eyes to tell; we loved despite the lack of all sensation—all but one: we felt the night's deep chill, the air so bright at dawn we quivered limply, overcome. To touch was all we knew, and how to bask. We knew to touch; we grew to touch; we felt spring's urgency, midsummer's heat, fall's lash, wild winter's ice and thaw and fervent melt. We felt returning light and could not ask its meaning, or if something was withheld more glorious. To touch seemed life's great task. At last the petal of me learned: unfold and you were there, surrounding me. We touched. The curious golden pollens! Ah, we touched, and learned to cling and, finally, to hold. Originally published by The Raintown Review, where it was nominated for the Pushcart Prize. The Wild Hunt by Michael R. Burch Near Devon, the hunters appear in the sky with Artur and Bedwyr sounding the call; and the others, laughing, go dashing by. They only appear when the moon is full: Valerin, the King of the Tangled Wood, and Valynt, the goodly King of Wales, Gawain and Owain and the hearty men who live on in many minstrels' tales. They seek the white stag on a moonlit moor, or Torc Triath, the fabled boar, or Ysgithyrwyn, or Twrch Trwyth, the other mighty boars of myth. They appear, sometimes, on Halloween to chase the moon across the green, then fade into the shadowed hills where memory alone prevails. Originally published by Celtic Twilight, then by Celtic Lifestyles and Auldwicce Morgause's Song by Michael R. Burch Before he was my brother, he was my lover, though certainly not the best. I found no joy in that addled boy, nor he at my breast. Why him? Why him? The years grow dim. Now it's harder and harder to say... Perhaps girls and boys are the god's toys when the skies are gray. Originally published by Celtic Twilight as "The First Time" Pellinore's Fancy by Michael R. Burch What do you do when your wife is a nag and has sworn you to hunt neither fish, fowl, nor stag? When the land is at peace, but at home you have none, Is that, perchance, when... the Questing Beasts run? Lance-Lot by Michael R. Burch Preposterous bird! Inelegant! Absurd! Until the great & mighty heron brandishes his fearsome sword. Truces by Michael R. Burch We must sometimes wonder if all the fighting related to King Arthur and his knights was really necessary. In particular, it seems that Lancelot fought and either captured or killed a fairly large percentage of the population of England. Could it be that Arthur preferred to fight than stay at home and do domestic chores? And, honestly now, if he and his knights were such incredible warriors, who would have been silly enough to do battle with them? Wygar was the name of Arthur's hauberk, or armored tunic, which was supposedly fashioned by one Witege or Widia, quite possibly the son of Wayland Smith. The legends suggest that Excalibur was forged upon the anvil of the smith-god Wayland, who was also known as Volund, which sounds suspiciously like Vulcan... Artur took Cabal, his hound, and Carwennan, his knife, and his sword forged by Wayland and Merlyn, his falcon, and, saying goodbye to his sons and his wife, he strode to the Table Rounde. "Here is my spear, Rhongomyniad, and here is Wygar that I wear, and ready for war, an oath I foreswore to fight for all that is righteous and fair from Wales to the towers of Gilead." But none could be found to contest him, for Lancelot had slewn them, forsooth, so he hastened back home, for to rest him, till his wife bade him, "Thatch up the roof! " Originally published by Neovictorian/Cochlea, then by Celtic Twilight Midsummer-Eve by Michael R. Burch What happened to the mysterious Tuatha De Danann, to the Ban Shee (from which we get the term "banshee") and, eventually, to the druids? One might assume that with the passing of Merlyn, Morgause and their ilk, the time of myths and magic ended. This poem is an epitaph of sorts. In the ruins of the dreams and the schemes of men; when the moon begets the tide and the wide sea sighs; when a star appears in heaven and the raven cries; we will dance and we will revel in the devil's fen... if nevermore again. Originally published by Penny Dreadful The Pictish Faeries by Michael R. Burch Smaller and darker than their closest kin, the faeries learned only too well never to dwell close to the villages of larger men. Only to dance in the starlight when the moon was full and men were afraid. Only to worship in the farthest glade, ever heeding the raven and the gull. The Kiss of Ceridwen by Michael R. Burch The kiss of Ceridwen I have felt upon my brow, and the past and the future have appeared, as though a vapor, mingling with the here and now. And Morrigan, the Raven, the messenger, has come, to tell me that the gods, unsung, will not last long when the druids' harps grow dumb. Merlyn, on His Birth by Michael R. Burch Legend has it that Zephyr was an ancestor of Merlin. In this poem, I suggest that Merlin was an albino, which might have led to claims that he had no father, due to radical physical differences between father and son. This would have also added to his appearance as a mystical figure. The reference to Ursa Major, the bear, ties the birth of Merlin to the future birth of Arthur, whose Welsh name ("Artos" or "Artur") means "bear." Morydd is another possible ancestor of Merlin's. In Welsh names "dd" is pronounced "th." I was born in Gwynedd, or not born, as some men claim, and the Zephyr of Caer Myrrdin gave me my name. My father was Madog Morfeyn but our eyes were never the same, nor our skin, nor our hair; for his were dark, dark —as our people's are— and mine were fairer than fair. The night of my birth, the Zephyr carved of white stone a rune; and the ringed stars of Ursa Major outshone the cool pale moon; and my grandfather, Morydd, the seer saw wheeling, a-gyre in the sky, a falcon with terrible yellow-gold eyes when falcons never fly. Merlyn's First Prophecy by Michael R. Burch Vortigern commanded a tower to be built upon Snowden, but the earth would churn and within an hour its walls would cave in. Then his druid said only the virginal blood of a fatherless son, recently shed, would ever hold the foundation. "There is, in Caer Myrrdin, a faery lad, a son with no father; his name is Merlyn, and with his blood you would have your tower." So Vortigern had them bring the boy, the child of the demon, and, taciturn and without joy, looked out over Snowden. "To **** a child brings little praise, but many tears." Then the mountain slopes rang with the brays of Merlyn's jeers. "Pure poppycock! You fumble and bumble and heed a fool. At the base of the rock the foundations crumble into a pool! " When they drained the pool, two dragons arose, one white and one red, and since the old druid was blowing his nose, young Merlyn said: "Vortigern is the white, Ambrosius the red; now, watch, indeed." Then the former died as the latter fed and Vortigern peed. Published by Celtic Twilight It Is Not the Sword! by Michael R. Burch This poem illustrates the strong correlation between the names that appear in Welsh and Irish mythology. Much of this lore predates the Arthurian legends, and was assimilated as Arthur's fame (and hyperbole)grew. Caladbolg is the name of a mythical Irish sword, while Caladvwlch is its Welsh equivalent. Caliburn and Excalibur are later variants. "It is not the sword, but the man, " said Merlyn. But the people demanded a sign— the sword of Macsen Wledig, Caladbolg, the "lightning-shard." "It is not the sword, but the words men follow." Still, he set it in the stone —Caladvwlch, the sword of kings— and many a man did strive, and swore, and many a man did moan. But none could budge it from the stone. "It is not the sword or the strength, " said Merlyn, "that makes a man a king, but the truth and the conviction that ring in his iron word." "It is NOT the sword! " cried Merlyn, crowd-jostled, marveling as Arthur drew forth Caliburn with never a gasp, with never a word, and so became their king. Uther's Last Battle by Michael R. Burch When Uther, the High King, unable to walk, borne upon a litter went to fight Colgrim, the Saxon King, his legs were weak, and his visage bitter. "Where is Merlyn, the sage? For today I truly feel my age." All day long the battle raged and the dragon banner was sorely pressed, but the courage of Uther never waned till the sun hung low upon the west. "Oh, where is Merlyn to speak my doom, for truly I feel the chill of the tomb." Then, with the battle almost lost and the king besieged on every side, a prince appeared, clad all in white, and threw himself against the tide. "Oh, where is Merlyn, who stole my son? For, truly, now my life is done." Then Merlyn came unto the king as the Saxons fled before a sword that flashed like lightning in the hand of a prince that day become a lord. "Oh, Merlyn, speak not, for I see my son has truly come to me. And today I need no prophecy to see how bright his days will be." So Uther, then, the valiant king met his son, and kissed him twice— the one, the first, the one, the last— and smiled, and then his time was past. Small Tales by Michael R. Burch According to legend, Arthur and Kay grew up together in Ector's court, Kay being a few years older than Arthur. Borrowing from Mary Stewart, I am assuming that Bedwyr (later Anglicized to Bedivere)might have befriended Arthur at an early age. By some accounts, Bedwyr was the original Lancelot. In any case, imagine the adventures these young heroes might have pursued (or dreamed up, to excuse tardiness or "lost" homework assignments). Manawydan and Llyr were ancient Welsh gods. Cath Pulag was a monstrous, clawing cat. ("Sorry teach! My theme paper on Homer was torn up by a cat bigger than a dragon! And meaner, too! ")Pen Palach is more or less a mystery, or perhaps just another old drinking buddy with a few good beery-bleary tales of his own. This poem assumes that many of the more outlandish Arthurian legends began more or less as "small tales, " little white lies which simply got larger and larger with each retelling. It also assumes that most of these tales came about just as the lads reached that age when boys fancy themselves men, and spend most of their free time drinking and puking... When Artur and Cai and Bedwyr were but scrawny lads they had many a ***** adventure in the still glades of Gwynedd. When the sun beat down like an oven upon the kiln-hot hills and the scorched shores of Carmarthen, they went searching and found Manawydan, the son of Llyr. They fought a day and a night with Cath Pulag (or a screeching kitten), rousted Pen Palach, then drank a beer and told quite a talltale or two, till thems wasn't so shore which'un's tails wus true. And these have been passed down to me, and to you. The Song of Amergin by Michael R. Burch Amergin is, in the words of Morgan Llywelyn, "the oldest known western European poet." Robert Graves said: "English poetic education should, really, begin not with The Canterbury Tales, not with the Odyssey, not even with Genesis, but with the Song of Amergin." Amergin was one of the Milesians, or sons of Mil: Gaels who invaded Ireland and defeated the mysterious Tuatha De Danann, thereby establishing a Celtic beachhead, not only on the shores of the Emerald Isle, but also in the annals of Time and Poetry. He was our first bard and we feel in his dim-remembered words the moment when Time blurs... and he and the Sons of Mil heave oars as the breakers mill till at last Ierne—green, brooding—nears, while Some implore seas cold, fell, dark to climb and swamp their flimsy bark ... and Time here also spumes, careers... while the Ban Shee shriek in awed dismay to see him still the sea, this day, then seek the dolmen and the gloam. Stonehenge by Michael R. Burch Here where the wind imbues life within stone, I once stood and watched as the tempest made monuments groan as though blood boiled within them. Here where the Druids stood charting the stars I can tell they longed for the heavens... perhaps because hell boiled beneath them? The Celtic Cross at Île Grosse by Michael R. Burch "I actually visited the island and walked across those mass graves of 30, 000 Irish men, women and children, and I played a little tune on me whistle. I found it very peaceful, and there was relief there." - Paddy Maloney of The Chieftans There was relief there, and release, on Île Grosse in the spreading gorse and the cry of the wild geese... There was relief there, without remorse when the tin whistle lifted its voice in a tune of artless grief, piping achingly high and longingly of an island veiled in myth. And the Celtic cross that stands here tells us, not of their grief, but of their faith and belief— like the last soft breath of evening lifting a fallen leaf. When ravenous famine set all her demons loose, driving men to the seas like lemmings, they sought here the clemency of a better life, or death, and their belief in God gave them hope, a sense of peace. These were proud men with only their lives to owe, who sought the liberation of a strange new land. Now they lie here, ragged row on ragged row, with only the shadows of their loved ones close at hand. And each cross, their ancient burden and their glory, reflects the death of sunlight on their story. And their tale is sad—but, O, their faith was grand! At Cædmon's Grave by Michael R. Burch "Cædmon's Hymn, " composed at the Monastery of Whitby (a North Yorkshire fishing village), is one of the oldest known poems written in the English language, dating back to around 680 A.D. According to legend, Cædmon, an illiterate Anglo-Saxon cowherd, received the gift of poetic composition from an angel; he subsequently founded a school of Christian poets. Unfortunately, only nine lines of Cædmon's verse survive, in the writings of the Venerable Bede. Whitby, tiny as it is, reappears later in the history of English literature, having been visited, in diametric contrast, by Lewis Carroll and Bram Stoker's ghoulish yet evocative Dracula. At the monastery of Whitby, on a day when the sun sank through the sea, and the gulls shrieked wildly, jubilant, free, while the wind and time blew all around, I paced those dusk-enamored grounds and thought I heard the steps resound of Carroll, Stoker and of Bede who walked there, too, their spirits freed —perhaps by God, perhaps by need— to write, and with each line, remember the glorious light of Cædmon's ember, scorched tongues of flame words still engender. Here, as darkness falls, at last we meet. I lay this pale garland of words at his feet. Originally published by The Lyric Sun Poem by Michael R. Burch I have suffused myself in poetry as a lizard basks, soaking up sun, scales nakedly glinting; its glorious light he understands—when it comes, it comes. A flood of light leaches down to his bones, his feral eye blinks—bold, curious, bright. Now night and soon winter lie brooding, damp, chilling; here shadows foretell the great darkness ahead. Yet he stretches in rapture, his hot blood thrilling, simple yet fierce on his hard stone bed, his tongue flicking rhythms, the sun—throbbing, spilling.
0
Apr 17, 2020
Apr 17, 2020 at 1:32 AM UTC
The Last Enchantment
The Last Enchantment by Michael R. Burch Oh, Lancelot, my truest friend, how time has thinned your ragged mane and pinched your features; still you seem though, much, much changed—somehow unchanged. Your sword hand is, as ever, ready, although the time for swords has passed. Your eyes are fierce, and yet so steady meeting mine ... you must not ask. The time is not, nor ever shall be, for Merlyn’s words were only words; and now his last enchantment wanes, and we must put aside our swords ... Originally published by Trinacria. Keywords/Tags: Lancelot, King Arthur, Arthurian, Merlin, round table, knights, sword, swords, England, stone, Excalibur, chivalry, Camelot, loyalty, friendship, magic, prophecy, Once and Future King, Celtic, Anglo-Saxon Northern Flight: Lancelot's Last Love Letter to Guinevere by Michael R. Burch "Get thee to a nunnery..." Now that the days have lengthened, I assume the shadows also lengthen where you pause to watch the sun and comprehend its laws, or just to shiver in the deepening gloom. But nothing in your antiquarian eyes nor anything beyond your failing vision repeals the night. Religion's circumcision has left us worlds apart, but who's more wise? I think I know you better now than then— and love you all the more, because you are ... so distant. I can love you from afar, forgiving your flight north, far from brute men, because your fear's well-founded: God, forbid, was bound to fail you here, as mortals did. Originally published by Rotary Dial These Arthurian poems by Michael R. Burch are based on mysterious ancient Celtic myths that predate by centuries the Christianized legends most readers are familiar with. At Tintagel by Michael R. Burch That night, at Tintagel, there was darkness such as man had never seen... darkness and treachery, and the unholy thundering of the sea... In his arms, who is to say how much she knew? And if he whispered her name... "Ygraine" could she tell above the howling wind and rain? Could she tell, or did she care, by the length of his hair or the heat of his flesh,... that her faceless companion was Uther, the dragon, and Gorlois lay dead? Originally published by Songs of Innocence, then subsequently by Celtic Twilight, Fables, Fickle Muses and Poetry Life & Times Isolde's Song by Michael R. Burch Through our long years of dreaming to be one we grew toward an enigmatic light that gently warmed our tendrils. Was it sun? We had no eyes to tell; we loved despite the lack of all sensation—all but one: we felt the night's deep chill, the air so bright at dawn we quivered limply, overcome. To touch was all we knew, and how to bask. We knew to touch; we grew to touch; we felt spring's urgency, midsummer's heat, fall's lash, wild winter's ice and thaw and fervent melt. We felt returning light and could not ask its meaning, or if something was withheld more glorious. To touch seemed life's great task. At last the petal of me learned: unfold and you were there, surrounding me. We touched. The curious golden pollens! Ah, we touched, and learned to cling and, finally, to hold. Originally published by The Raintown Review, where it was nominated for the Pushcart Prize. The Wild Hunt by Michael R. Burch Near Devon, the hunters appear in the sky with Artur and Bedwyr sounding the call; and the others, laughing, go dashing by. They only appear when the moon is full: Valerin, the King of the Tangled Wood, and Valynt, the goodly King of Wales, Gawain and Owain and the hearty men who live on in many minstrels' tales. They seek the white stag on a moonlit moor, or Torc Triath, the fabled boar, or Ysgithyrwyn, or Twrch Trwyth, the other mighty boars of myth. They appear, sometimes, on Halloween to chase the moon across the green, then fade into the shadowed hills where memory alone prevails. Originally published by Celtic Twilight, then by Celtic Lifestyles and Auldwicce Morgause's Song by Michael R. Burch Before he was my brother, he was my lover, though certainly not the best. I found no joy in that addled boy, nor he at my breast. Why him? Why him? The years grow dim. Now it's harder and harder to say... Perhaps girls and boys are the god's toys when the skies are gray. Originally published by Celtic Twilight as "The First Time" Pellinore's Fancy by Michael R. Burch What do you do when your wife is a nag and has sworn you to hunt neither fish, fowl, nor stag? When the land is at peace, but at home you have none, Is that, perchance, when... the Questing Beasts run? Lance-Lot by Michael R. Burch Preposterous bird! Inelegant! Absurd! Until the great & mighty heron brandishes his fearsome sword. Truces by Michael R. Burch We must sometimes wonder if all the fighting related to King Arthur and his knights was really necessary. In particular, it seems that Lancelot fought and either captured or killed a fairly large percentage of the population of England. Could it be that Arthur preferred to fight than stay at home and do domestic chores? And, honestly now, if he and his knights were such incredible warriors, who would have been silly enough to do battle with them? Wygar was the name of Arthur's hauberk, or armored tunic, which was supposedly fashioned by one Witege or Widia, quite possibly the son of Wayland Smith. The legends suggest that Excalibur was forged upon the anvil of the smith-god Wayland, who was also known as Volund, which sounds suspiciously like Vulcan... Artur took Cabal, his hound, and Carwennan, his knife, and his sword forged by Wayland and Merlyn, his falcon, and, saying goodbye to his sons and his wife, he strode to the Table Rounde. "Here is my spear, Rhongomyniad, and here is Wygar that I wear, and ready for war, an oath I foreswore to fight for all that is righteous and fair from Wales to the towers of Gilead." But none could be found to contest him, for Lancelot had slewn them, forsooth, so he hastened back home, for to rest him, till his wife bade him, "Thatch up the roof! " Originally published by Neovictorian/Cochlea, then by Celtic Twilight Midsummer-Eve by Michael R. Burch What happened to the mysterious Tuatha De Danann, to the Ban Shee (from which we get the term "banshee") and, eventually, to the druids? One might assume that with the passing of Merlyn, Morgause and their ilk, the time of myths and magic ended. This poem is an epitaph of sorts. In the ruins of the dreams and the schemes of men; when the moon begets the tide and the wide sea sighs; when a star appears in heaven and the raven cries; we will dance and we will revel in the devil's fen... if nevermore again. Originally published by Penny Dreadful The Pictish Faeries by Michael R. Burch Smaller and darker than their closest kin, the faeries learned only too well never to dwell close to the villages of larger men. Only to dance in the starlight when the moon was full and men were afraid. Only to worship in the farthest glade, ever heeding the raven and the gull. The Kiss of Ceridwen by Michael R. Burch The kiss of Ceridwen I have felt upon my brow, and the past and the future have appeared, as though a vapor, mingling with the here and now. And Morrigan, the Raven, the messenger, has come, to tell me that the gods, unsung, will not last long when the druids' harps grow dumb. Merlyn, on His Birth by Michael R. Burch Legend has it that Zephyr was an ancestor of Merlin. In this poem, I suggest that Merlin was an albino, which might have led to claims that he had no father, due to radical physical differences between father and son. This would have also added to his appearance as a mystical figure. The reference to Ursa Major, the bear, ties the birth of Merlin to the future birth of Arthur, whose Welsh name ("Artos" or "Artur") means "bear." Morydd is another possible ancestor of Merlin's. In Welsh names "dd" is pronounced "th." I was born in Gwynedd, or not born, as some men claim, and the Zephyr of Caer Myrrdin gave me my name. My father was Madog Morfeyn but our eyes were never the same, nor our skin, nor our hair; for his were dark, dark —as our people's are— and mine were fairer than fair. The night of my birth, the Zephyr carved of white stone a rune; and the ringed stars of Ursa Major outshone the cool pale moon; and my grandfather, Morydd, the seer saw wheeling, a-gyre in the sky, a falcon with terrible yellow-gold eyes when falcons never fly. Merlyn's First Prophecy by Michael R. Burch Vortigern commanded a tower to be built upon Snowden, but the earth would churn and within an hour its walls would cave in. Then his druid said only the virginal blood of a fatherless son, recently shed, would ever hold the foundation. "There is, in Caer Myrrdin, a faery lad, a son with no father; his name is Merlyn, and with his blood you would have your tower." So Vortigern had them bring the boy, the child of the demon, and, taciturn and without joy, looked out over Snowden. "To **** a child brings little praise, but many tears." Then the mountain slopes rang with the brays of Merlyn's jeers. "Pure poppycock! You fumble and bumble and heed a fool. At the base of the rock the foundations crumble into a pool! " When they drained the pool, two dragons arose, one white and one red, and since the old druid was blowing his nose, young Merlyn said: "Vortigern is the white, Ambrosius the red; now, watch, indeed." Then the former died as the latter fed and Vortigern peed. Published by Celtic Twilight It Is Not the Sword! by Michael R. Burch This poem illustrates the strong correlation between the names that appear in Welsh and Irish mythology. Much of this lore predates the Arthurian legends, and was assimilated as Arthur's fame (and hyperbole)grew. Caladbolg is the name of a mythical Irish sword, while Caladvwlch is its Welsh equivalent. Caliburn and Excalibur are later variants. "It is not the sword, but the man, " said Merlyn. But the people demanded a sign— the sword of Macsen Wledig, Caladbolg, the "lightning-shard." "It is not the sword, but the words men follow." Still, he set it in the stone —Caladvwlch, the sword of kings— and many a man did strive, and swore, and many a man did moan. But none could budge it from the stone. "It is not the sword or the strength, " said Merlyn, "that makes a man a king, but the truth and the conviction that ring in his iron word." "It is NOT the sword! " cried Merlyn, crowd-jostled, marveling as Arthur drew forth Caliburn with never a gasp, with never a word, and so became their king. Uther's Last Battle by Michael R. Burch When Uther, the High King, unable to walk, borne upon a litter went to fight Colgrim, the Saxon King, his legs were weak, and his visage bitter. "Where is Merlyn, the sage? For today I truly feel my age." All day long the battle raged and the dragon banner was sorely pressed, but the courage of Uther never waned till the sun hung low upon the west. "Oh, where is Merlyn to speak my doom, for truly I feel the chill of the tomb." Then, with the battle almost lost and the king besieged on every side, a prince appeared, clad all in white, and threw himself against the tide. "Oh, where is Merlyn, who stole my son? For, truly, now my life is done." Then Merlyn came unto the king as the Saxons fled before a sword that flashed like lightning in the hand of a prince that day become a lord. "Oh, Merlyn, speak not, for I see my son has truly come to me. And today I need no prophecy to see how bright his days will be." So Uther, then, the valiant king met his son, and kissed him twice— the one, the first, the one, the last— and smiled, and then his time was past. Small Tales by Michael R. Burch According to legend, Arthur and Kay grew up together in Ector's court, Kay being a few years older than Arthur. Borrowing from Mary Stewart, I am assuming that Bedwyr (later Anglicized to Bedivere)might have befriended Arthur at an early age. By some accounts, Bedwyr was the original Lancelot. In any case, imagine the adventures these young heroes might have pursued (or dreamed up, to excuse tardiness or "lost" homework assignments). Manawydan and Llyr were ancient Welsh gods. Cath Pulag was a monstrous, clawing cat. ("Sorry teach! My theme paper on Homer was torn up by a cat bigger than a dragon! And meaner, too! ")Pen Palach is more or less a mystery, or perhaps just another old drinking buddy with a few good beery-bleary tales of his own. This poem assumes that many of the more outlandish Arthurian legends began more or less as "small tales, " little white lies which simply got larger and larger with each retelling. It also assumes that most of these tales came about just as the lads reached that age when boys fancy themselves men, and spend most of their free time drinking and puking... When Artur and Cai and Bedwyr were but scrawny lads they had many a ***** adventure in the still glades of Gwynedd. When the sun beat down like an oven upon the kiln-hot hills and the scorched shores of Carmarthen, they went searching and found Manawydan, the son of Llyr. They fought a day and a night with Cath Pulag (or a screeching kitten), rousted Pen Palach, then drank a beer and told quite a talltale or two, till thems wasn't so shore which'un's tails wus true. And these have been passed down to me, and to you. The Song of Amergin by Michael R. Burch Amergin is, in the words of Morgan Llywelyn, "the oldest known western European poet." Robert Graves said: "English poetic education should, really, begin not with The Canterbury Tales, not with the Odyssey, not even with Genesis, but with the Song of Amergin." Amergin was one of the Milesians, or sons of Mil: Gaels who invaded Ireland and defeated the mysterious Tuatha De Danann, thereby establishing a Celtic beachhead, not only on the shores of the Emerald Isle, but also in the annals of Time and Poetry. He was our first bard and we feel in his dim-remembered words the moment when Time blurs... and he and the Sons of Mil heave oars as the breakers mill till at last Ierne—green, brooding—nears, while Some implore seas cold, fell, dark to climb and swamp their flimsy bark ... and Time here also spumes, careers... while the Ban Shee shriek in awed dismay to see him still the sea, this day, then seek the dolmen and the gloam. Stonehenge by Michael R. Burch Here where the wind imbues life within stone, I once stood and watched as the tempest made monuments groan as though blood boiled within them. Here where the Druids stood charting the stars I can tell they longed for the heavens... perhaps because hell boiled beneath them? The Celtic Cross at Île Grosse by Michael R. Burch "I actually visited the island and walked across those mass graves of 30, 000 Irish men, women and children, and I played a little tune on me whistle. I found it very peaceful, and there was relief there." - Paddy Maloney of The Chieftans There was relief there, and release, on Île Grosse in the spreading gorse and the cry of the wild geese... There was relief there, without remorse when the tin whistle lifted its voice in a tune of artless grief, piping achingly high and longingly of an island veiled in myth. And the Celtic cross that stands here tells us, not of their grief, but of their faith and belief— like the last soft breath of evening lifting a fallen leaf. When ravenous famine set all her demons loose, driving men to the seas like lemmings, they sought here the clemency of a better life, or death, and their belief in God gave them hope, a sense of peace. These were proud men with only their lives to owe, who sought the liberation of a strange new land. Now they lie here, ragged row on ragged row, with only the shadows of their loved ones close at hand. And each cross, their ancient burden and their glory, reflects the death of sunlight on their story. And their tale is sad—but, O, their faith was grand! At Cædmon's Grave by Michael R. Burch "Cædmon's Hymn, " composed at the Monastery of Whitby (a North Yorkshire fishing village), is one of the oldest known poems written in the English language, dating back to around 680 A.D. According to legend, Cædmon, an illiterate Anglo-Saxon cowherd, received the gift of poetic composition from an angel; he subsequently founded a school of Christian poets. Unfortunately, only nine lines of Cædmon's verse survive, in the writings of the Venerable Bede. Whitby, tiny as it is, reappears later in the history of English literature, having been visited, in diametric contrast, by Lewis Carroll and Bram Stoker's ghoulish yet evocative Dracula. At the monastery of Whitby, on a day when the sun sank through the sea, and the gulls shrieked wildly, jubilant, free, while the wind and time blew all around, I paced those dusk-enamored grounds and thought I heard the steps resound of Carroll, Stoker and of Bede who walked there, too, their spirits freed —perhaps by God, perhaps by need— to write, and with each line, remember the glorious light of Cædmon's ember, scorched tongues of flame words still engender. Here, as darkness falls, at last we meet. I lay this pale garland of words at his feet. Originally published by The Lyric Sun Poem by Michael R. Burch I have suffused myself in poetry as a lizard basks, soaking up sun, scales nakedly glinting; its glorious light he understands—when it comes, it comes. A flood of light leaches down to his bones, his feral eye blinks—bold, curious, bright. Now night and soon winter lie brooding, damp, chilling; here shadows foretell the great darkness ahead. Yet he stretches in rapture, his hot blood thrilling, simple yet fierce on his hard stone bed, his tongue flicking rhythms, the sun—throbbing, spilling.
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Morgause’s Song by Michael R. Burch Before he was my brother, he was my lover, though certainly not the best. I found no joy in that addled boy, nor he at my breast. Why him? Why him? The years grow dim. Now it’s harder and harder to say ... Perhaps girls and boys are the god’s toys when the skies are gray. Published by Celtic Twilight Keywords/Tags: King Arthur, Arthurian, Morgause, Merlin, round table, knights, England, stone, Excalibur, chivalry, Camelot, Uther Pendragon, Colgrim, Saxon
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Apr 16, 2020
Apr 16, 2020 at 9:13 PM UTC
Morgause’s Song
It Is Not the Sword! by Michael R. Burch This poem illustrates the strong correlation between the names that appear in Welsh and Irish mythology. Much of this lore predates the Arthurian legends, and was assimilated as Arthur’s fame (and hyperbole) grew. Caladbolg is the name of a mythical Irish sword, while Caladvwlch is its Welsh equivalent. Caliburn and Excalibur are later variants. “It is not the sword, but the man,” said Merlyn. But the people demanded a sign— the sword of Macsen Wledig, Caladbolg, the “lightning-shard.” “It is not the sword, but the words men follow.” Still, he set it in the stone —Caladvwlch, the sword of kings— and many a man did strive, and swore, and many a man did moan. But none could budge it from the stone. “It is not the sword or the strength,” said Merlyn, “that makes a man a king, but the truth and the conviction that ring in his iron word.” “It is NOT the sword!” cried Merlyn, crowd-jostled, marveling as Arthur drew forth Caliburn with never a gasp, with never a word, and so became their king. Published by Songs of Innocence, Neovictorian/Cochlea, Romantics Quarterly and Celtic Twilight. Keywords/Tags: King Arthur, Arthurian, Merlin, round table, knights, stone, sword, Excalibur, chivalry, Camelot, Uther Pendragon, England
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Apr 16, 2020
Apr 16, 2020 at 7:43 PM UTC
It Is Not the Sword!
Uther’s Last Battle by Michael R. Burch When Uther, the High King, unable to walk, borne upon a litter went to fight Colgrim, the Saxon King, his legs were weak, and his visage bitter. “Where is Merlyn, the sage? For today I truly feel my age.” All day long the battle raged and the dragon banner was sorely pressed, but the courage of Uther never waned till the sun hung low upon the west. “Oh, where is Merlyn to speak my doom, for truly I feel the chill of the tomb.” Then, with the battle almost lost and the king besieged on every side, a prince appeared, clad all in white, and threw himself against the tide. “Oh, where is Merlyn, who stole my son? For, truly, now my life is done.” Then Merlyn came unto the king as the Saxons fled before a sword that flashed like lightning in the hand of a prince that day become a lord. “Oh, Merlyn, speak not, for I see my son has truly come to me. And today I need no prophecy to see how bright his days will be.” So Uther, then, the valiant king met his son, and kissed him twice— the one, the first, the one, the last— and smiled, and then his time was past. Keywords/Tags: King Arthur, Arthurian, Merlin, Uther Pendragon, Colgrim, Saxon, round table, knights, England, chivalry, Camelot
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Apr 16, 2020
Apr 16, 2020 at 7:31 PM UTC
Uther’s Last Battle
Uther’s Last Battle by Michael R. Burch When Uther, the High King, unable to walk, borne upon a litter went to fight Colgrim, the Saxon King, his legs were weak, and his visage bitter. “Where is Merlyn, the sage? For today I truly feel my age.” All day long the battle raged and the dragon banner was sorely pressed, but the courage of Uther never waned till the sun hung low upon the west. “Oh, where is Merlyn to speak my doom, for truly I feel the chill of the tomb.” Then, with the battle almost lost and the king besieged on every side, a prince appeared, clad all in white, and threw himself against the tide. “Oh, where is Merlyn, who stole my son? For, truly, now my life is done.” Then Merlyn came unto the king as the Saxons fled before a sword that flashed like lightning in the hand of a prince that day become a lord. “Oh, Merlyn, speak not, for I see my son has truly come to me. And today I need no prophecy to see how bright his days will be.” So Uther, then, the valiant king met his son, and kissed him twice— the one, the first, the one, the last— and smiled, and then his time was past. Keywords/Tags: King Arthur, Arthurian, Merlin, round table, knights, England, Uther Pendragon
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Apr 16, 2020
Apr 16, 2020 at 5:18 AM UTC
Uther’s Last Battle
Merlyn’s First Prophecy by Michael R. Burch Vortigern commanded a tower to be built upon Snowden, but the earth would churn and within an hour its walls would cave in. Then his druid said only the virginal blood of a fatherless son, recently shed, would ever hold the foundation. “There is, in Caer Myrrdin, a faery lad, a son with no father; his name is Merlyn, and with his blood you would have your tower.” So Vortigern had them bring the boy, the child of the demon, and, taciturn and without joy, looked out over Snowden. “To **** a child brings little praise, but many tears.” Then the mountain slopes rang with the brays of Merlyn’s jeers. “Pure poppycock! You fumble and bumble and heed a fool. At the base of the rock the foundations crumble into a pool!” When they drained the pool, two dragons arose, one white and one red, and since the old druid was blowing his nose, young Merlyn said: “Vortigern is the white, Ambrosius the red; now, watch, indeed.” Then the former died as the latter fed and Vortigern peed. Originally published by Celtic Twilight Keywords/Tags: King Arthur, Arthurian, Merlin, round table, knights, Ambrosius, Vortigern, dragons
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Apr 16, 2020
Apr 16, 2020 at 5:13 AM UTC
Merlyn’s First Prophecy
Merlyn, on His Birth by Michael R. Burch I was born in Gwynedd, or not born, as men may claim, and the Zephyr of Caer Myrrdin gave me my name. My father was Madog Morfeyn but our eyes were never the same, nor our skin, nor our hair; for his were dark, dark —as our people’s are— and mine were fairer than fair. The night of my birth, the Zephyr carved of white stone a rune; and the ringed stars of Ursa Major outshone the cool pale moon; and my grandfather, Morydd, the seer saw wheeling, a-gyre in the sky, a falcon with terrible yellow-gold eyes when falcons never fly. Legend has it that Zephyr was an ancestor of Merlin. In this poem, I suggest that Merlin may have been an albino, which might have led to seemingly outlandish claims that he had no father, due to radical physical differences between father and son. This would have also added to his appearance as a mystical figure. The reference to Ursa Major, the bear, ties the birth of Merlin to the future birth of Arthur, whose Welsh name (“Artos” or “Artur”) means “bear.” Morydd is a another possible ancestor of Merlin’s. Keywords/Tags: King Arthur, Arthurian, Merlin, round table, knights, England, chivalry, Camelot
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Apr 16, 2020
Apr 16, 2020 at 5:04 AM UTC
Merlyn, on His Birth
At Tintagel by Michael R. Burch That night, at Tintagel, there was darkness such as man had never seen . . . darkness and treachery, and the unholy thundering of the sea . . . In his arms, who is to say how much she knew? And if he whispered her name . . . “Ygraine” could she tell above the howling wind and rain? Could she tell, or did she care, by the length of his hair or the heat of his flesh, . . . that her faceless companion was Uther, the dragon, and Gorlois lay dead? Published by Songs of Innocence, Celtic Twilight, Fables, Fickle Muses and Poetry Life & Times. The legend of what happened on a stormy night at Tintagel is endlessly intriguing. Supposedly, Merlin transformed Uther Pendragon to look like Gorlois so that he could sleep with Ygraine, the lovely wife of the unlucky duke. While Uther was enjoying Ygraine’s ********** Gorlois was off getting himself killed. The question is: did Igraine suspect that her lover was not her husband? Regardless, Arthur was the child conceived out of this supernatural (?) encounter. Keywords/Tags: Arthur, Arthurian, Merlin, Tintagel, Uther, dragon, Pendragon, Ygraine, Igraine, Gorlois, duke, identity, switch, transformation
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Mar 28, 2020
Mar 28, 2020 at 4:10 AM UTC
At Tintagel
Essence of the dragon's breath into the harbor creeps. Gray, silent, with the chill of death blankets the meadow while sunbeams sleep. Wandering, lost within its drifting folds, isolated from the world. Cries of fears untold, echo through its depths unfurl. Distorted visions of illusions cast tremor through the air. Soulless victims on retributions task beckon to their hidden snare. Close your eyes, feel its cold fingers caress, howls of anguish, to late, your body shudders in distress, bemoaning your impending fate. ALesiach © 02/26/2015
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Jul 27, 2019
Jul 27, 2019 at 5:42 PM UTC
Dragon's Breath
Green peace and trees Orange leaves and sun Following the blonde strands Whisping along Deep reds and purples Blue mystic lakes Diving into brunette silk Marching forward Friendship and tears Trust built into love Bonding a legend No man could **** Dragons and ancient tongues Wars and proud kings Deep into crimson red Flowing royal death Secrets and mysteries The future and the past Destiny and youth Tied around your heart The love of a man The tears of a loss Broken soul holding on To a gold warrior Ever so strong Bittersweet as a broken heart Like friends who grew a part Keep it inside your soul forever more Just don't let the sadness keep you On the floor
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Feb 1, 2019
Feb 1, 2019 at 12:05 AM UTC
Camelot
I've been on the run for 500 years. I carved a map on my back of all the places I've been. It's made up of all the old stars from my eyes that no longer have meaning to me. What a shame you couldn't have come with me. The trees stand taller than the mountains, growing up into the skies to touch the clouds. The lady in the lake that pushed and pulled the boats was a lovely savage. These lands had no end. I meet a man that lived on the clouds. He told me the story of how he invented the stars and how he cried the rain. I never did run from the rain again. I listened to the wind's whisper, so low only for my ears to hear. They told me to paint flowers for you. So I took myself and found your stone. Quiet, cold, and ever so selfishly was this sight to see for me. I'm sorry your last breath was wasted on my name. I have lost you to greed. I wanted to travel forever with you, but your state of body did not agree. I took you from your saver and your bed, and now I walk a thousand miles on my own. I look for you every time the sun falls down, but knowing I'm lost in the moon's glow. I would give all for you to be here with me. Winning isn't all that fun in the end, but now the game is over and I stand lone a victor. I painted you a garden of the most beautiful roses. It's such a shame you'll never be able to see them.
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Jul 28, 2013
Jul 28, 2013 at 9:59 PM UTC
Graveyard Garden
A mythical reality of Presidents and Kings Oval Offices, Round Tables And the power each one brings A dream of unknown future Of what we wished to see A fictional creation Of life not meant to be Magical creations That lived just in our mind Families so cursed There's just remnants left behind A time of recollection Be it near or long ago A true tale of "what if?" That we all will never know Brothers dead, dreams vanished Future Princes of the Realm Plantagenet or Kennedy Which son will take the helm? A Mythical creation A place we want to see again Is there royalty in waiting? To be the leader of free men
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Mar 17, 2013
Mar 17, 2013 at 5:40 PM UTC
Camelot
(Dragon) Man of white as my wings flow, beware my breath in Jest, as I will breath anger upon your robed chest. Never question the fire that lights from inside. A stick will burn as quickly as a foolish man, I have No time for morals who wish to see the light of breath. For all will be ash as my words are spoken upon a draft. (Bearded Fellow) Fear not white one who graces the sky with sun set Breath, eyes never see the truth beyond their perception. We are of a forgotten moment now passed in haste. (Dragon) You are an illusion upon my thoughts, you are as I am, Ancient alone in a world changing faster than we can. Misunderstood of ignorance of this humankind, man. (Bearded fellow) We are in need of slumber, to rest, till the memory of time Has changed and we are once needed again, words were As power but now we are forgotten relics of a past. (Dragon) We will fall to the deepest of silent deaths till we are needed. (Bearded fellow) Now we slumber a man of cloth covered in white sheets. They slumber till this day awaiting that time when, all as It was and shall be again, sleep white & grey till the day Awakens you, we will await that impending day...
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May 30, 2015
May 30, 2015 at 12:22 PM UTC
Two Of White Ageless Times
There was a gap between the trees And when I pushed through all the leaves I saw a wizard standing there With pointy hat and snow-white hair. His beard grew down to his feet, The most wizardy wizard you could meet. "Come on son, you're late you know? We don't want to miss the big show." "Excuse me sir, but you really should tell me if your magic is bad or good." "Oh yes of course my magic's good. Don't you know your in Merlin's wood?" So off we went to see the thing That Merlin called a great big fling Dragons were dancing in the meadow We laughed and giggled at those big fellows Great wings flapped around ***** nilly It made all the beasts look rather silly Then Merlin said it was time to go A wave of his wand and what do you know? I plopped down, back at my tree And there was Mom calling for me. One last look, behind my back I thought I saw his dancing hat
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Aug 2, 2013
Aug 2, 2013 at 5:33 PM UTC
My First Adventure With Merlin