Handfasting of the Lord and Lady written for Imbolc 1997 by Terri Roessler |
The Lord and Lady stood before the Celestial Altar,
Facing the High Priestess, who was seen but not seen,
heard but not heard,
the stars were Her gown, a nebula was Her cloak, and the Milky Way Her headdress,
swirling around Her head.
The Lord and Lady, were smiling shyly, for this was Imbolc,
The Sacred day,
The Joyous day,
The day that They would become one.
Around them in the circle
Stood Their children.
Witnessing Their wedding day.
Men, Women and Children,
Birds and Beasts,
Creatures imagined, and some unimagined,
Spirits and Angels,
Creatures of the Land and of the Sea,
The Fey in their multitude of Form,
And creatures of the Otherworld.
All happy to witness the handfasting of their Lord and Lady.
The children looked at the Lady in awe, Her bright face turned up to the Lord,
Multitudes of flowers in Her hair, faeries and butterflies daintily holding the ribbons away
from Her face.
And at the Laughing God, decked in greenery, bearded and horned, smiling down on His Lady
love.
The High Priestess, Her Awe-inspiring voice heard with the heart,
not with the ears,
did say to the children:
"Do
any say nay?"
The hush was instant,
Breath indrawn.
She gazed at the children with Her terrible eyes,
The children looked down with respect and no little fear, not meeting Her eyes.
She turned back to the Lord and Lady,
at the beautiful eyes and the handsome face,
Her smile returned.
Suddenly, She held a cord.
The children's breath let out, almost a sigh.
The Lord and Lady proffered Their wrists.
Wrapped around them almost instantly,
Was a cord, sparkling with all the colors of the rainbow, the Moon and the Sun.
"Then as the entire Universe as witness"
She said in a voice suddenly loud,
"I proclaim you Husband and Wife!"
The crowd cheered, throwing rose petals into the air.
The petals fell to the ground to be stepped on and release their pungent smell.
The Laughing God bent His Horned Head to the Lady's mouth, eager to taste the sweetness
there.
The Lady's Eyes opened wide, His Passion a surprise.
The Laughing God's eyes danced in response.
The Kiss ended.
They turned to the altar,
The Star Woman was gone, as They knew she would be.
They laughed happily and turned to the crowd,
Their sparkling eyes, taking in the sight of Their Children.
Smiling Their blessings to the crowd,
They too were gone.
The children turned their eyes towards the bright heavens,
And beheld the Laughing God and their Lady,
Dancing in the stars.
Somewhere in a nebula far, far away, the Star Woman laughed happily.
The Children danced too,
In joy, on the earth, in the sea, and in the skies. their faces aglow,
As the stardust fell down.....
Poem copyright © 1997 Terri Roessler
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