Barbara Joseph
Pennant Melangell
Why did she come so far?
That Celtic princess with the lovely name
And strange, compelling eyes?
Was it by chance
She found this green place at the valley’s end
Among the conical hills? Or did its fame
Draw her from distant Erin? A sacred site,
Already old in worship, ancient yews
In silent witness, setting it apart.
Either way, she knew her place and chose,
Or was, more likely, chosen.
Brochwel saw
Knew her for what she was:
A witch? Or saint?
The old religion, or the new?
What matter?
There are no certainties this side of death.
All creeds are transient. But in this place
From this squat church, on its Druidic mound
A still, small voice speaks of eternity.
That Celtic princess with the lovely name
And strange, compelling eyes?
Was it by chance
She found this green place at the valley’s end
Among the conical hills? Or did its fame
Draw her from distant Erin? A sacred site,
Already old in worship, ancient yews
In silent witness, setting it apart.
Either way, she knew her place and chose,
Or was, more likely, chosen.
Brochwel saw
Knew her for what she was:
A witch? Or saint?
The old religion, or the new?
What matter?
There are no certainties this side of death.
All creeds are transient. But in this place
From this squat church, on its Druidic mound
A still, small voice speaks of eternity.
magazine list
- Features
- zines
- 10th Muse
- 14
- Acumen
- Agenda
- Ambit
- Angel Exhaust
- ARTEMISpoetry
- Atlas
- Blithe Spirit
- Borderlines
- Brando's hat
- Brittle Star
- Candelabrum
- Cannon's Mouth, The
- Chroma
- Coffee House, The
- Dream Catcher
- Equinox
- Erbacce
- Fabric
- Fire
- Floating Bear, The
- French Literary Review, The
- Frogmore Papers, The
- Global Tapestry
- Grosseteste Review
- Homeless Diamonds
- Interpreter's House, The
- Iota
- Journal, The
- Lamport Court
- London Magazine, The
- Magma
- Matchbox
- Matter
- Modern Poetry in Translation
- Monkey Kettle
- Moodswing
- Neon Highway
- New Welsh Review
- North, The
- Oasis
- Obsessed with pipework
- Orbis
- Oxford Poetry
- Painted, spoken
- Paper, The
- Pen Pusher Magazine
- Poetry Cornwall
- Poetry London
- Poetry London (1951)
- Poetry Nation
- Poetry Review, The
- Poetry Salzburg Review
- Poetry Scotland
- Poetry Wales
- Private Tutor
- Purple Patch
- Quarto
- Rain Dog
- Reach Poetry
- Review, The
- Rialto, The
- Second Aeon
- Seventh Quarry, The
- Shearsman
- Smiths Knoll
- Smoke
- South
- Staple
- Strange Faeces
- Tabla Book of New Verse, The
- Thumbscrew
- Tolling Elves
- Ugly Tree, The
- Weyfarers
- Wolf, The
- Yellow Crane, The