Folk Wisdom... Folk Arts... and words that want to be shared

Poetry from Claire Sylvan’s book, Turnings

Endurance

November trees at dusk
Stretch their bony arms triumphant
Into deepening purple,
Here, still here.

The leaves they birthed and nurtured
Through the long heat, drawing earth and fire,
Air and water, deepest Mystery,
Following ancient...

Poetry from Claire Sylvan’s book, Turnings

Reclaiming

Even pavement has its lifespan, and one day,
Milkweed knows:
It is time.

Tiniest fragile root finds a crack in hard conglomerate,
Fingers down to softness, soil, moisture, O happy day!
Sends more and more roots grasping deep,
Then begins,...

Poetry from Claire Sylvan’s book, Turnings

Eat the Fear

Eat every blessed moment.
Gnaw the edges of the tough ones,
Spit out the woody fibre
That will not break you down.

Open wide, take in
Every ever-loving juicy thing,
And chew it till it drips
All down your steadfast chin.

Let every cell...

Poetry from Claire Sylvan’s book, Turnings

Writing Poetry

I would dance in the wordwind,
            Whirl in the spiralling light,
Let the sound and story soar,
Gather meaning,
And land in the very space
Shouldered open, welcoming
Each tender newborn phrase.

...

Poetry from Claire Sylvan’s book, Turnings

One and All

Look around. See the beauty of us all.
We are so many faces, so many bodies.

We are the particular strands of a spider's web,
The scrape of rock, the dance of serpent,
The sinuousness of your hand.

Take it all in, all.
Listen, do you...

Poetry from Claire Sylvan’s book, Turnings

Beltane

Winter was long, dark, still.
Some days I let go,
To sink into stone, and like a stone, wait.

And now, undaunted by any human despair,
This relentless lusty earth has turned,
Surging out green.

A love-cry from deep in her belly rings out
In...