Pages

A Scaffold for a Mouse


Setting this up seemed mean

and was judged to be so 

for it seemed to demean


Manawydan living in a dream

landscape with the life

conjured out of it like a flat plane


They moved across, Rhiannon,

Pryderi, Cigfa and he

chasing shadows to an enchanted fountain.


Against such powerful magic: a small

gesture enacted on this scaffold

quietly, determinedly, a model


Of spell-breaking – no fires on

the astral plane but calculated

unconcern in the face of persuasion


And a firm grip on a small thing

for a great purpose:  he would 

release into the world again


a woman in an asses collar;

make the rivers flow again,

awaken form to its true nature:


Mouse to pregnant woman,

stabled horse to a mare running free,

changes real magic causes to happen.


1 comment:

  1. Brilliant! I've often thought this supposedly humble episode (the mouse scaffold) upon which so much hinges, which can at first glance appear rather surreal and trivial is worthy of much greater attention. I particularly love the summation which I think carries a very profound truth and delivers it with subtlety.

    ReplyDelete