all journeys start from the within
Hail, Manawydan,
Lord of the high seas,
Master of all crafts!
Father of deep waters!
Be merciful, Manawydan,
Grant me the coolness
Of your waves,
So heat never troubles me.
Be kind, Manawydan,
Teach me your wisdom,
Give me the means,
So need never troubles me.
My Lord Manawydan,
Son of the mighty Llyr!
Let the thousand winds
Carry me home.
Hail, Manawydan,
Lord of the high seas,
Master of all crafts,
I sing to you!
Brilliant article. Simply brilliant.
The river shall take me. I am certain I have less to live than I can anticipate. I know now it is all over, and having no will to live, I greet death as a gentleman capable of rational thought, not as a lunatic I shall become in time.
The river shall take me. Among its waves I will find my peace, to its waters I shall surrender never to return.
The river shall take me. Since Friday I felt I was going to be like mother, and the best thing for me was to die. Insanity is what I abhor, insanity is what troubles me – it drives me mad, the thought of becoming mad.
The river shall take me. I will not be ‘this handsome Druitt boy who ended up in the asylum’. Better finish it than to suffer, better die than to live as a prisoner.
The river shall take me. Now I am certain- and I should have known better earlier, in summer that there would be no way for me but ending it all.
The river shall take me. What a miserable, what a pathetic end! ‘London barrister found in the Thames’. A pathetic end indeed. But I can see no other way
The river shall take me. I care not for money, fortune or happiness, I am thoroughly convinced no good awaits me. Madmen know no love, madmen deserve no pity or affection
The river shall take me. I am but one and thirty, and doomed. Ill-fated,the poets called it. Wretched. Cursed. Brilliantly mad. Dead.
The river shall take me. Freedom hides in cold waters.
The river shall take me. Dead. Forgotten. Forlorn. Unsung. Unloved. Disregarded. Pitiable.
The river shall take me. De profundis clamavi ad te, Domine; Domine, exaudi vocem meam; fiant aures tuae intendentes in orationem servi tui.
The river shall take me. Amen.
I shall sing to you of love, but will you hear me? To you my song shall fly, crossing high hills and wide waters – but will you know my voice?
Years have passed, Taliesin, yet my heart still aches. Years have gone, and my hair is no longer coal black – tinged with silver, shaded by mists.
I shall sing to you, wind-tamer, silvertongue, crystal-clear – but will it be enough? Shall i shout, shall I cry so my anguish and pain cut your ears? Shall i whisper to the smallest flower so all the flowers bear your name upon their petals?
I shall sing. No great prophet am I, yet I shall sing. Eagle-winged shall my song be, and its wings shall shade the sun that lights up the ways of the radiant brow.
I shall sing. No magician am I, yet my song shall turn into a battle cry, and into a sigh, and into a lullaby – only to become a Prayer. Then you shall hear, then you shall see, then you shall know.
I shall sing to you of love. Love that burns like the great fire in Urien’s hall, love that soothes as the mother’s embrace, love that conquers like a great host of warriors.
I shall sing to you of passion that turns into hate when unsatisfied. I shall sing to you of ambition that drives the honourable mad. I shall sing to you – but will you hear me?
Here I am, singing on the heathered cliffs, singing to the winds and skies. Here I am, sighing the nights away, blessing your name and cursing the hour when I first saw you.
I shall sing to you, Taliesin. No song shall be more beautiful, no song shall have more harmony. No song shall be more glorious- and that I know.
Let me sing,Taliesin, for I fear that I shall run mad, if silenced. Let me sing and hear me.
Aneirin ydw i, and I sing.
Taken by the darkness, vanished in mist. Taken by the one clothed in black leather, silver silks and stardust. Taken never to return.
Taken by the solstice, spirited away. Taken by the Wild Hunt, all riding the winds, roaming the midnight sky. Taken and gone, never to stay.
Taken to the Tor, shining in the sun. Taken by the Fae, all prancing around, on horses diamond white. Taken by the King in want of a wife.
Taken by the hawthorn blooms, sung far away. Taken by the one, who conquers and courts. Taken by the Lord who governs the ways.
Taken by the sea, the deep, dark waves. Taken by the one who comes and goes. Taken for a bride, never to remain.
Taken by the hand, taken to Annwfn. Taken by the son of the shining mists. Taken in a glimpse, gone – and gone too soon.
Taken, taken, taken, gone, No one knows, and no one cares, Taken by the solstice sun. Follow her – if thou does dare.
Be my eyes, be the wind.
Tame it, ride it.
Be my wings, light undimmed
Spread them, find me.
Be my breath, be my stars,
Touch the sky, break it.
Be my fire, till it lasts,
Light the night, burn it.
Be my love, be my storm,
Live it, take it –
Be my sky, crown of thorns,
Bleed it, wear it.
Be the one, be my blood,
Claim it, swear it-
Be the curse, be the flood –
Break it, dry it.
Be my heart, be my night-
Fill it, light it –
Be my peace, be my fight –
Storm it, calm it.
Be the one, wed me now –
Take me, bless me –
Be the one, take the vows-
In your heart keep me.
Vows renewed by the fire, water and aspens.
Vows renewed at the threshold.
Vows renewed on midsummer’s Eve.
Vows taken by the fire, skies and water,by the northern wind and the aspen boughs.
Vows taken by my Lord and master,
Vows taken by the one who hears.
I stand here, on the edge of the world, seeing nothing but the veil of mist, thick as sweet cotton, that my mother bought me once at the county fair. The veil so dense that there’s nothing before me, and all that once was there, behind my back, does not exist.
The veil reminds me of cathedral wedding veils, yet it is silkier, softer, subtler. This veil isn’t white, or creme, or golden-beige. Neither is it pastel, or silvery or grey. It has no distinct color, as all the colors are there. It has no one to drape around, yet it drapes beautifully.
I wish this veil was mine. I wish it could hide me in its airy embrace, I wish it could hide me forever. I wish it was mine.
It is yours,the voice says. It is yours. You’ve been hiding behind this veil for all your life,babe. Misunderstanding,regret, lies and pretence, prejudices and hopes – fears and dreams – that is what it’s made of. It’s yours.
My heart agrees. My mind beats against the truth as the fish trapped in icy waters.
Wanna see? The voice whispers. Look.
The veil becomes tangible. I reach for it, I grasp it. I pull it, gently- as if I’m afraid to harm it.
Oh come on. Harder.
I pull again. The veil falls down. Another one hides under it.
Pull.
Another one falls to the ground.
Pull, I say.
One by one,the veils fall apart and down, torn and ripped.
Now, then. Look closer.
A shining figure crowned by a thorny looking diadem stands before me.
It is you. Embrace yourself, babe. It is time.
One step closer. One more step. Reaching out, I touch the glistening fingers. They clasp mine.
Light blinds me. I can no longer see.
When I open my eyes, light is still there.
Inside you, babe.
My fingers shimmer. My head feels heavy, as if weighted down.
Your crown, babe. Call it a gift. Call it a curse. I gave you the crown of thorns, and I shall give you the crown of roses.
Embrace yourself.
Embrace yourself.
Take it in, babe.
You’re life itself.
Coolness is what I am drawn to. Coolness of the breeze, coolness of the high grasses of faraway lands, coolness of the deep forest shadow.
Coolness is what I miss most. Coolness of the mountain rivers, coolness of the winter songs, coolness of the gentle winds of the places I have never seen.
Coolness is what I dream of. Coolness of the freshly mown grass, coolness of the autumn rains, coolness of the spring sunsets full of promise and sighs.
Coolness is what my heart yearns for. Coolness of the lavender fields, coolness of the moonlit paths, coolness of my Lord’s fine silken cloak that covers my shoulders at night.
Coolness is what my mind seeks. Coolness of the ancient trees, coolness of old castle walls, coolness of my Lord’s breath so full of rosemary,mint and wild violets.
Coolness is what fills my dreams. Coolness of crystal caves, coolness of the northern wind in my hair, coolness of my Lord’s pale skin in the early hours of the morning.
Coolness is what I need most. Coolness of forest lakes, coolness of ancient libraries, coolness of herbs and oils in the dark vials, coolness of my Lord’s hands upon my hands.
Coolness is what keeps me going. Coolness of the shaman’s tent, coolness of the midsummer starlight, coolness of the midnight fae waltzes, coolness of my Lord’s kisses in the velvet darkness of the Night.
Coolness is what I need now. Hear me, my Lord, lend me your cloak of green and take me home.
Behold the darkness. Feel it cover your shoulders, feel it crawl and creep around you. Behold the darkness.
Behold the darkness. Follow its call, follow it to the edge of your personal boundaries. Behold the darkness.
Behold the darkness. See it rise above you, see it spreading its wings before you. Behold the darkness.
Behold the darkness. Sense it grow inside you, sense it bloom and flood your heart. Behold the darkness.
Behold the darkness. Let it engulf you, let it swallow you whole. Behold the darkness.
Behold the darkness. Let it caress you, let it waltz you over the edge of your senses. Behold the darkness.
Behold the darkness. Let it give voice to your innermost thoughts and desires, let it rule you. Behold the darkness.
Behold the darkness. Let it sing in your mind, let it enchant your soul. Behold the darkness.
Behold the darkness. Take it in, let it reign, let it bring you to life. Behold the darkness.
Behold the darkness. Accept it, don’t try to deny it. Close your eyes and make it yours. Behold the darkness.
Behold the darkness. Embrace it, enjoy it, let it shape you anew. Behold the darkness.
Behold the darkness. Live it and let it die, live in it, let it revive you. Behold the darkness.
Behold the darkness. It is time to become yourself.
Into the Unknown