To Fairyland and Back

I spent the past two weeks out at Ramblewood, one of the most magical places to me in the world. I have been coming to the land for 11 years now, and have a tattoo on my flesh that I had done after a decade. I have been there not only for Free Spirit Gathering and Dark Odyssey: Fusion (the two events my partner and I attended this trip), but also Sacred Sexuality Beltane, Rope Camp, Leather Retreat, Dark Odyssey: Summer Camp, Primal Arts Festival... and have even used the land for a writing retreat opposite a ghost hunters intensive. It was a beautiful and wild ride, with much of it holding hands with an amazing woman. In fact, this was the longest continuous volume of time I have spent in my life holding hands. It was pretty amazing.Historically, I was not a hands-holding person in the way I have become. I have been playfully and lovingly stand-offish shall we say. We each craft new steps, journey forward, find our own next right path.On the flight home, I wrote this poem/ballad for my partner who was curled up next to me sleeping. Baltimore to Houston, Houston to Anchorage... a long time in the air. I finished it somewhere over British Columbia, and spent the past two days massaging it into its current form. Given that I am working on laying out my poetry book, and am blessed to have Abby Helasdottir working on the art for it - it seems like its time to post a poem. So - here you go. The poem I wrote on the way home from 12 days at Ramblewood. To Fairyland and BackYou came with me to the holy landrich emerald and hunter walls standing tallas you met each rock and tree I lovedwhile helping me learn each one anewWe pushed off from the dockheld up on new memories to be madewith two sylphs lapping at candied skinand waterfalls cascading downOur meditative fingers ached weeding old truthsmaking each step into the future our ownleft-hand path the long way inright-hand path the short way outSweating inside the manmade caveslet old chants slip the tongues of cronesturn the swords into ploughsharesa prayer to have nations fight no moreHer white hair spun as the fireflies eruptedthree pillars of prayer before the tribea child welcomed in and blessed by alllayers shed and gifts receivedBraving the silent strolls and deadly marshwe found the river and built a prayerbullfrog leaps and buzzard greetingsand a savior woman who led us back once moreIn magic the ages danced byOur skin became mother, child, father, wizened lovein kindness we watched the reflectionEighty years beating like a comfortable drumTemptation was laid out in layers for the tongueCrab legs and frozen custardyou have eaten of the fairy landand are destined to returnThe Green Man greeted us by the forest edgeand watched as I took his prizewhile from white stone and labyrinth mazethe Goddess gazed with hungry eyesInto the Temple the sage burns deepset the altar for the work that must be doneyou held the space my Sacristanthe tears streaming with each new revelationThe population ebbed and flowedseas of stories that pass for hopeThe café castle built up highthe café castle laid down lowTalismans and tokens were plucked from the vineBats, butterflies and bees bearing omensHerons flew by with fish and thunder roaredeach breath interpreted against those that came beforeYou flew through the gates of Venus on phoenix wingslaid on lava rocks in the guise of warwere bound to the black rose throneand always came home to our bedWe hold hands staring towards the lightninghold hands on the lakeshore and human seawe hold hands as we give our servicehold hands in the dark and sour hourPrayers wove a tapestry of Wyrdconnection, desire and love in the fieldsuccess, nature and magic at the dooreach piece of mirror reflecting back our spellThe winds rushed in and took us surprisedbefore they turned to wisdom before our eyessurprises found in Lilith’s veilsurprises found in walks and flames alightThose glowing flames jumped towards our skinfire spinning in my hands or from their lipsmy demon horns out on the grassyour blind form crying out to the starsYour eyes were gone in the name of trustyour eyes were gone in the name of lovebut you saw me as deep as everand saw the land for all it is and wasWith each tour we invested our dreamswooed by songs played just for uswith each wisp of silk we bound further stilldrank Turkish coffee and read our fateBlessed be my warrior maidenmy vestment-bearer, my dress up dollblessed be this opening blossommy woman of wonder, my fairy girlKhepri had pushed the sun overheadwhen I saw you holding the beetle on your handwe closed the gates and rode into the nightdrowning into our private blissCurl up right next to memy fairy slumbering in her boweras snowcapped peaks form a bed of mossand the soaring blue shall hold us tightWe sail home beyond the icethe winds to blow us home once morebut Underhill awaits my lovemy fairy queen who heeds the call