Vessel
When the moon
is winking
like the Grey Sisters’ eye
passed from housetop
to housetop, glassy bright
and wide as a fawn’s,
I feel your touch;
wind in the night
cool on fever’s summer.
Your kisses taste of a rain
that breaks the drought,
your look slips over skin
wet and terra cotta slick
as the clay on the wheel.
Run your potter's hand
across my back,
reshape my days, my nights
with a maker's fingers
then fire me
where the blaze
then fire me
where the blaze
burns morning white.
Paint my curving sides with a
bard’s young colors: jet and gold,
blue as the wandering sky,
jade, yellow, crimson
with every flower;
then take me to the well
then take me to the well
where thirst is quenched.
September 2011, mildly revised February 2020
re-posted for earthweal's
(Scroll down one for the Friday 55)
The Graeae: old women", "grey ones", "grey sisters", or "grey witches"; alternatively spelled Graiai (Γραῖαι), Graiae, Graii), were three sisters who shared one eye and one tooth among them. They are one of several trios of archaic goddesses in Greek mythology.....~wikipedia
Header Image: Explore #360, © slokaa Fair Use
Oh, this is gorgeous. I drank it down like cool water on a hot summer day.
ReplyDeletetransporting - gorgeous and evocative ~
ReplyDeleteLovely opening!
ReplyDeleteWhat is our poetry's I without a Thou? What is yearning without some shore of welcome? This is like a psalm or song of Solomon, a scented chamber far back in the temple we'll never stop searching for. Divinely lovely, Hedge, and a sure alignment to true north. This is why we write. -- Brendan
ReplyDelete"wet and terra cotta slick
ReplyDeleteas the clay on the wheel."
Beautifully written, so much in this....that opening verse is stunning...JIM
Omg. Having just written and posted mine for Sunday Muse I arrive here and find that, in essence, we have written about the same thing, except that yours is lovely and mine is otherwise. That's just wee-oo enough for me to freak out a little!
ReplyDeleteMine is almost ten years older than yours, when the life was a lot younger. ;) It makes for a different perspective. ;) Thank you Shay--so glad you liked it.
DeleteThis is beautiful H - stunning indeed.
ReplyDeleteReading same made me feel wonderfully gooey and I like that!
Anna :o]
This is marvelous and moving! I so enjoyed it. I like your background too.
ReplyDeleteWonderful. Perfect imagery. Another coincidence, I threw that clay too this week... https://qbit.blog/2020/02/28/dripping-clay/
ReplyDelete