The Gods were clearly angry
\nAs we pulled up the hill
\nThe Wye looked like a raging dragon
\nAs its red hot breath did spill
\nSnaking through the narrow lanes
\nOf Coleford we arrived
\nAt the Rocks the forest dancing
\nFeeling lucky to have survived<\/p>\n
The wind chill clearly testing
\nAs the robed ones made their way
\nDown the slippery slidy path
\nTo the shop and the old cafe
\nAnd on into the caves themselves
\nTo absorb some history
\nThe otherworld the cavernous depths
\nUnsubstantiality<\/p>\n
A place where ghosts could easily
\nLive in a vapour stream
\nIts is said that an old miner
\nHas haunted many a dream
\nOf those who had also passed on
\nAnd may be wandering there
\nAmongst the iron red jagged rock walls
\nPlunging down to where<\/p>\n
We were slowly making our way
\nSome one hundred feet or more
\nWithout hand rails to hold onto
\nAnd aching knees that tore
\nSome of the fearless quality
\nFrom the bard who we all know
\nBut finally got to the bottom
\nOf what was the great grotto<\/p>\n
Myriad night lights were burning
\nGiving a great faery glow
\nAnd shadowy figures were filing in quietly
\nAnd threading around in a slow
\nGait in a symbolic circle
\nAn ethereal picture became
\nReal in a real sense of wonderment
\nCaught in the fire and the flame<\/p>\n
The arch druid in green
\nWelcomed us all
\nAnd set out the programme and we
\nHeld hands and closing our eyes for a minute
\nLooked into infinity
\nImagining what were we thinking
\nTo See what really could we see
\nWe had gone back into time
\nTime iself
\nFor here in this place we could free
\nOurselves from the Earths raging bluster
\nFrom imbolc’s cold kisses for she
\nHad been forcing her rain to fall fair and fast
\nAnd dampen our spirits for free<\/p>\n
19 candles for Brigid
\nHad been set in place
\nAll charged with spells
\nDedications to trace
\nInvocations of healing
\nCelebrations to her
\nEach dedicant came forth
\nTo be as it were
\nBlessed with the spirit
\nAs the souls defies
\nTo the very last candle
\nThat never dies<\/p>\n
Then came the dancers
\nThe music that rolled
\nWith their little lights
\nToo
\nTheir movements extolled
\nThe path of the spirit
\nTranscending the whole
\nWith gentle persuasion
\nThey pitched their sweet role<\/p>\n
Old Winter came into the circle
\nAnd was old and infirm
\nWith a beard to his knees
\nThen came the goddess
\nHer beauty endowed
\nWith the promise of Spring
\nHer light overpowered<\/p>\n
A play in rich prose
\nThe passing really
\nOf darkness to light
\nAnd the freedom to see
\nFlowers were cast every which way
\nSome humour we heard
\nA little light banter
\nVia the spoken word<\/p>\n
Time for some mead
\nAnd a taste of the sweet
\nWhen the bard was called up
\nTo get on his feet
\nAnd bring forth a message
\nTo pass this sweet time
\nOf sharing the mead
\nAnd the feed with a rhyme<\/p>\n
The rocks clearly holding a great deal
\nOf weight
\nEach mighty crag silently
\nWatched as we ate
\nAs we drank as we shared
\nA sharp slurp of brew
\nFrom the prowess of Bees
\nWho were all good and true<\/p>\n
Then the speaking stick
\nWhere we heard snd we learned
\nWhere all of our friends came from
\nConcerned
\nWe sang and we chanted
\nWe listened we heard
\nWe pondered again from the spoken word<\/p>\n
Then we all came kind of closer to heal
\nWe hummed in the middle
\nThe feeling was real
\nLike bees our togtherness
\nWe sent abroad
\nAnd our breath charged with soul
\nAnd a true sweet accord<\/p>\n
Lifted the spirit
\nwe all did cohere
\nWe got that connection
\nBanishing fear
\nAn ensemble enmasse
\nA great healing cloud
\nOf invisible gas<\/p>\n
Lifted humanity
\nJust for a while
\nA movement perhaps
\nBut a moment of style
\nA druidic coming together to be
\nLost in a world of positivity<\/p>\n
Our final farewell
\nOur lasting goodbye
\nA hug if we are lucky
\nI tell you no lie<\/p>\n
At the top as the draught
\nFrom the outside we felt
\nThere in the darkness
\nA black cat just knelt
\nA beautiful soft soul
\nPurring away
\nWho came out to see us
\nAnd to us did say<\/p>\n
I am the ebony prince of the night
\nI live in these caves
\nAnd always invite
\nThe spirits of Clearwell
\nTo dance with me I
\nBade you farewell
\nWith a tear in my eye<\/p>\n
Back up to the surface
\nThe caverns again
\nBack into the darkness
\nTo the wind and the rain
\nComplete saturation
\nAn alien force
\nAngry tumultuous
\nClearly off course
\nMy face paint half washed off
\nTo those who did see
\nMe in the dark
\nClearwell’s ghost possibly<\/p>\n
Back down in that grotto
\nAway from it all
\nWe descended and friended
\nAnd answered the call
\nOf BRIGID and all of the druidic clan
\nAnd will come back to ROLL rights
\nAt Ostara The plan<\/p>\n
20 th of March Ostara<\/p>\n
ROLL RIGHTS stones<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Gods were clearly angry As we pulled up the hill The Wye looked like a raging dragon As its red hot breath did spill Snaking through the narrow lanes Of Coleford we arrived At the Rocks the forest dancing … Continue reading