As children we watched her, with fear and delight,
the gowned lady moving through the night.
To birds and ferns and trees she talked,
all the while.....we watched and stalked.
Through the mists she seemed to glide,
and still we followed with time to bide.

To a circle of trees this Lady went,
where above, with the wind, the trees did bend.
With arms cast above her to the sky,
Under the moon time seemed to fly.
Of magick old, she chanted and sung,
and stayed to greet the next morn's sun.

A witch she was, the Lady gowned in red,
all the people in town had said!
Her garden was full of plants and herbs,
at her little cottage just around the curb.
"Beware! Stay back!", they all would say,
but I thought I would like to meet her one day.

So again, in the night I got out of bed,
and followed the witch gowned in red.
The circle of trees was lit by the moon above,
when she started to sing of the things she did love.
The sky above and the earth below,
the shine of the sun and the running waters flow.

As she sung these words into the night,
I wondered to myself, had I heard her right?
All these things didn't seem so bad,
so why did she seem to make people so mad?
I left her singing alone in the trees,
as alone, by myself I needed to be!

At home in bed, I started a list,
to show this Lady of the mist.
Of all the things that I did love,
such as the song of a turtle dove.
The stars at night, new shoots from the ground,
the season of summer and fish, by water bound.

The next day, while walking down the street,
the Lady in red and I did meet.
With list in hand and courage high,
I gave it to her as she passed me by.
I kept on walking down the road,
while with my list she entered her abode.

At night once more I ventured out,
I wanted to join her to sing and shout!
Through the trees and mist so smooth,
I could barely feel my legs move.
To the circle of trees so grand,
I walked in and she grabbed my hand.

Frightened I was, or at least I thought I should,
until with the other hand, she raised her hood.
A beautiful woman, in her 30's or so,
with her friendly smile, asked me not to go.
With our hands held high up to the sky
Together we watched the night birds fly.

Now we both started to sing,
while we walked in a circle, and a bell she did ring.
The words she sang were mine from the list,
they echoed out through the mist.
It was then I realised, though using a different name,
her words and mine were both the same.

If a witch she was, singing into the night,
then so was I, it all felt right.
The stars, the moon, the sky above,
all of these things we both did love.
And now all the children from the town,
follow me to the circle of trees round.

By Akina   September, 2003

Wow, Akina!  That is incredible!  What a beautiful gift you have!  I love the ending!

thanks for the beautiful affirmation Akina - as a solitary sometimes you forget the company and kinship you're in.

  Glad you guys liked it