h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I will go down to the woods tonight,
And there shall long remain.
With neither sound nor flickering light,
Until the dawning of the day.

For within that ebon fastness lies,
A many pillared hall.
Where through silence and sacrifice,
I may hear the elf king’s call.

And as I listen to that ancient lay,
I may see a silver field.
That ne’er suffered mankind’s sway,
Where none but to honour yield.

Perhaps I shall walk the faerie path,
That wends through that sweet meadow,
And come at last to the elf king’s rath,
To be greeted as friend and fellow.

There see laid upon damasked tables bright,
A feast for the Holly Lord,
There to dance away the solstice night,
Upon the moon dappled sward.

But with the morn I shall awake,
Turned ancient by the frost,
To my home my feet will make,
Tears freezing for what we’ve lost.

For what glory lies in man’s great splendour,
If he cannot see beauty in the dark night,
And measures worth by what he can squander,
Instead of what he can make good and right.

So ring out your noisesome solstice bells,
For the turning of the year,
But reflect on what the darkness tells,
It is the greed we must truly fear.


Many Solstice Blessings
Matholwch /|\

Nice one - lovely atmosphere. Makes me want to take a walk in the woods, if it weren't for the traffic on the highway that can be heard for miles.

Although I must admit to being more afraid of the elf king than greed. I blame Schubert!

No, wait, I blame Goethe - and Schubert for putting music to it, that's how I first came across 'Der Erlkönig'!

I rather like this translation that is a bit more old-fashioned than others I've come across:

http://www.cs.rice.edu/~ssiyer/minstrels/poems/920.html

Ooh, very

Nice Mathowich

That is wonderful. Spending night after night watching badgers and other nightlife I have a real feel for this poem. Did you write it? I shall be saving it with many other poems that touch me.

The greed bit seems to hit home at this time of year too!

Websailor

Thank you all for your kind words, and yes websailor I did write it. I don't apply copyrights to my work so all are free to take it for whatever purpose they choose.

Blessings,
Matholwch /|\

I have just read it again and it really got to me. Thank you so much, I shall treasure it.

It says everything I feel but never could have put in to words.

Websailor

I am posting just to bring it to the top of my list.
I think anybody that reads get something lovely from it

Has it appeared in ?
It's a lovely winter poem.

Hi Abbi

What is 'the Post'?

Blessings,
Matholwch /|\

How many years have you been on this site and you don't know what the post is! See U54963


alji

...or, for the latest issue, try <./>ThePost</.>

New issue due this Thursday 22 December, and although it's a little bit too late to submit anything for this week's issue I could check with team and see if we could include it anyway, if that's OK with you, Matholwch?

having also being told of your verse, by Websailor, I too think it is excellent and I would therefore ask if you would consider adding it to my thread of poems and verse, it is open for anyone to add their own work to, which enhances the thread each and every entry.

F1926355?thread=533382?thread=&post=16735635#p16735635

Sorry I did not answer right away Matholwich.
I post and run most times, always returning eventually.

It is the weekely paper for h2.
You may have not had a chance to peek at it and learn yet.

I'm very glad to see the people that can make it happen stop by here!
Yay, thanks to you all!

Hi Titania

You are very kind and if you wish to use it my normal copyright terms apply, namely: the poem is free for any to use as they wish.

Solstice blessings,
Matholwch /|\

Lovely poem, Math. Thank you.


az

Matholwch - your poem has been published in this week's <./>ThePost</.>

Congrats Matholwch!

Congrats. Great poem.

My I had almost forgotten this thread - thank you good friends.

Bright blessings,
Matholwch /|\