A place for song, poetry, and stories of various kind. Words of wisdom perhaps, dreams, visions, and philosophy too. All these and more will hopefully find their way here, guided by friends and companions as well as myself.

Some verse? I'm not sure what to make of it at the moment; it just sort of popped into my head.

Walking, wandering, seeing and not seeing

Hearing and not hearing, lost in the Mistlands

Seeking secrets, seeking meaning;

By rushing brooks, and in dusty books,

Chasing wisdom, sifting the sands of time

 

Flights of fancy, glimpses of laughter

Ethereal beauty in perfect pastures

Deep green cool, dark deep pool

Comfort in meadows, eyes in the shadows

Illumination given, though it lies hidden

An experience
   I was walking.... I distinctly recall watching my feet as I moved along. I was thinking of getting up into the  hills near a stream when suddenly I was....in a meadow of brilliant green so piercing it seemed the color had just then been created and I was first to see it. There was a gentle breeze and wildflowers dotted the grasses....I can still recall their scent perfectly and see them waving in the breeze. I heard the hum of bees and noted puffs of cloud in a clear blue sky. I saw a forest in the distance and suddenly....I was in a forest of immense fir trees...the likes of which I have never seen. Their trunks were easily more than eight feet in diameter and the ground was carpetted with needles. The scent of pine and fir was so powerful that I am moved to tears now when I note it. It was dark under those trees, with the rustlings of branches in the wind and unseen animals. There was a Presence...someone watching but unseen....
    I am in a place of darkness....I am embraced gently and warmly, a woman's contralto murmuring to me "Not yet!"...and I am falling, rushing and tumbling down...a feeling of being squeezed for a moment...and I open my eyes lying on the ground.

    This is what I experienced after being hit by a car while crossing the street. I do not recall the impact at all....but I recall the above episode with absolute clarity. It was real, I believe this. I was told by doctors I related this to that it was the result of a massive concussion. A psychologist told me it was a classic NDE. All I can say is that it was real...I crossed the Veil and was sent back.

    You, of course, will have to make up your own minds..

Siani



The Beginnings of Wisdom; a bit of 'verse' I wrote concerning my Bardic Training in OBOD

I have...found the beginnings of wisdom.
I was ore in the earth, and I was mined and put to the flame.
Forged was I, again and again, made purer with each blow
Metal I became, and was plunged into fire again
Becoming half solid, half liquid.
Forged again was I, and quenched in oil
Hard I was, yet heated softly and cooled slow
Tempered I was, strong yet supple
And I rang with sweet music when struck.

A sword I was, in the hands of a warrior
Thrilled I did, at the clamor of battle....
Shed tears of blood at the loss of life
Left lying upon the ground
Water and air did take their toll, and changed was I again
Once more of the earth, but no longer ore
Taken deep and heated once more, pressed deep and long
Changed I am again, a crystal in the earth

Time wears on and water washes me from the soil
Dissolved I am, floating in the water, disembodied yet present
Into the air I am taken, a simple vapor in the sky
Joining with others I fall as rain, one drop among the many
In the lake I float and wash, a bath and drink for fishes
A fish I am, and down I go, the stream's great current pulling,
Into the sea I find my way, and a hungry eagle spies me
Now I am the eagle free and in the air go soaring

Floating high above the land
I watch the forests below, spying little human forms trudging through the snow
I see the hare beneath the bush, quivering with fear
But I am now a breath of air, dancing through the treetops
Playing some part of Mother's Great Music, delighting in the dance
Hard I am, and soft I go, soothing and a-stirring
Until I find myself drawn in to feed a fire.

Fire I am, and dance I will, with my own secret music
Hard things melt and all things burn, but new things take their places
Dancing with the Salamanders, I spoke with them at length
Then I went to other times, where smiths went through their paces
And learned of things that fire does that I had not imagined.
Until at length I found myself fiery stone flowing brightly,
Running like water, made of earth, fed by air and fueled by fire.

Then I knew that I was all of these four things together.
I had found the beginnings of wisdom, but still I sought for more

Some trees I spoke to in my secret grove,
Oak and ash, willow and hazel.
Said the Oak I must be strong.
Said the Ash "What is strength without resilience?"
And then the Willow claimed that either without beauty was simply not the same.
Finally the Hazel said, its Wisdom you need to know.
For all the other three mean nothing if you know not how to grow.

An eagle I have been, a raven dark and blue
A fish in the sea, a gem in the earth
A dancer in the flame, A Zephyr singing true

I've spoken with the otter, who reminded me to play
And then to the Unicorn, who showed me another way.
The mighty Bear taught me well, of strength and loyalty
The Fire Dragon taught me too, of metal and of temper

Though I prefer the fire and water, I know I need them all
And through them I am tied to all, sister , daughter, mother and crone
I change my shape and cross the Veil, learning all the time
Yet still there are hills to climb.

Through the gateway I have gone
To crystal castles shining
To lakes of clear water running, and caverns of streaming fire
My Lady I have met now, She who has taught me much
Of Harp, and flute, and drum and forge, I cannot learn enough.

I have wandered all around my Oakstone Grove
The symbols are all shining, save only on the trilithon
Where only one is glowing. Two now remain for me to light
I have found the beginning of wisdom.

Now I stand before the gate, seeking yet another journey.
To light the second symbol there, and open my eyes wider.

Siani