The Call by Goff James
Poem Attribution © goffjamesart/photography/poetry
Click here to read more poetry by Goff James
Image Attribution © Thomas Jones, The Bard, 1774
Source Attribution https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welsh_art#/media/File:The_Bard_(1774).jpeg
Image Attribution © Harinarayan Rajeev (YouTube), Amazing Wales
Source Attribution https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0-JTcOEpNQ
The Saint’s Tale
(I)
In the land of Celtic legends
Filled with tales of fiery dragons
A time is told of hermits saints and sinners
That dwelt ‘pon Dewsland’s windswept cliffs
Where in ancient times
Clouded in the veil of darkest myths
Within the sound of crashing waves
And call of screeching gulls
In dreams foretold to Sandde of stag of
Leaping salmon and swarming summer bees
Atop a broken barren boulder
Beneath the open sky
David the son of Non was birthed
The line of Ceredig, Cunedda and Caergawch
And where in secret in caverns deep
Buried beneath the folding furrowed earth
Untold treasures sleep undisturbed
Amid hidden springs and wells
Where on one morn David early rose
With Teilo Aeddan and brother Ismael
(II)
On the banks of Alauna’s flowing river they toiled and
Built in thunder storm and rain their holy shrine
Boia Druid chieftain stood upon his fortressed crag
Looking towards Carn Llidi surveying the richness of his realm
From David’s distant hidden boggy hollow
A band of curling smoke he spied rising to the sun
It rose and rose and rose again in the fading light
Till it shrouded all the chieftain’s land
Boia sat from morn till dusk
Unfed unquenched upon his scar stoned throne
His furrowed brow deep with rage
And mind with hatred filled
In the breaking light of dawn
The angered chieftain with his tribesmen
Marched in haste with swords and spears in hand
To regain the stolen vale
As they travelled o’er the rain soaked marsh
An ague gripped their bodies forcing their demise
On turning homewards in the distance spied
The carcasses of their oxen scavenged by the crows
(III)
As the ailing chieftain upon his sick bed lay
In fevered dream a heavenly dove he espied
Alight upon an agèd hawthorn bush and into
Flames of bleeding blossom its barren branches burst
In the healing darkness Boia’s heart was touched
And with the rising of the morrow’s sun
The chieftain in peace returned to Glyn Rhosyn
Seeking blessèd forgiveness from the pious monks
Boia’s jealous wife much angered by the chieftain’s bold resolve
Scorning sent her naked maidens to bathe in David’s flowing stream
Flesh’s temptations overcome the brothers chanted loud
It is the chosen who will stay and the sinners who must flee
For the Siddi Dunwad’s head was axed and as her life ebbed away
Her scarlet ribboned blood flowed staining all the earth
Where it fell a healing spring arose with waters crystal clear
From the slope Satrapa fled with murder writ upon her face and hands
Across the ocean Lisci sailed when fire filled the sky
And scorched the land and beheaded Boia and his bride
In the sacred land of the verdant vale hid deep
Beneath the wooded hills this tale retold today
Notes
Images and Poem Attribution © goffjamesart/photography/poetry
Click here to read more poetry by Goff James
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