Fishing lines were bare Heart filled with despair But a child found there So it shall be...
Elphin and the Boy
Category: Celtic Verse
Awdl Gywydd Notes
A Welsh form, the Awdl Gywydd consists of four-line stanzas, each line containing seven syllables.The last syllable of lines 1 and 3 rhyme with the 3rd-5th syllable of their following lines. The 2nd and 4th lines also rhyme. xxxxxxaxxaxxxbxxxxxxcxxcxxxb Example Afanc and the Fool by Jez Farmer A mysterious creatureSaid to lure the fools to … Continue reading Awdl Gywydd Notes
Ae Freislighe Notes
The Ae Freislighe (pronounced ‘ay freshly) is an Irish syllabic quatrain stanza form. Each line is seven syllables with lines one and three ending with a triple rhyme and two and four with a double rhyme. The entire poem should end as it began with a repetition (a dunadh) of the first syllable, word, phrase, … Continue reading Ae Freislighe Notes
Poet’s Desire
My darling, let your voice be soft As you lead my thinking aloft...
Radiant Brow
From the mystic valleys of Wales He came to tell histories tales...
Audition
At first glance They look the same as they dance Swirling and turning tutus Can we choose just one by chance...
Year and a Day
And the seasons turn, fading bloom With vibrant colours amid gloom From spiralling autumn days winter comes To numb the sun’s last rays...
Love in Three
To consider love in three ways Keep it simple is what I says The first is that my heart is given freely...
Old Gods, My Gods
Pagan am I since time began Old gods Pagan I dance the circle in their hand My gods Pagan...
Mischief-maker
Form: Seadna For turning his back on OdinHe earned the fury of ThorBrothers fighting god against godBefore the gods in old lore ©JGFarmer2021
Asymptomatic
Form: cywydd deuair hirion Is it a reason to frownA year spent in a lockdownProtecting family and friendsToo many say it dependsI want to do this and thatCovid is just some old chatSelfish acts then they get fined‘That’s unfair and so unkindBut look I didn’t get sickYet my friends were not so quickThe common factor … Continue reading Asymptomatic
Mari Lwyd
Avoid the drunken oafs at play Who cuss and curse before they pray I see in them no sweet delight...
Solstice Night
Longest night As we dance in new-born light We hail the king of the sun...
Amaethon
Form: Rannaicheacht Bheag Blessed ploughman, the god of fields dressedDivine child of a goddess, blessedOf prodded earth his hands sealed questTo yield harvest gods’ blessed ©JGFarmer2020
Spell casting
I long to cast magic’s spell, know thee well in autumn’s night. A wish just for thee, my heart...
Afallach
Form: Deibhidhe Golden apples gracing treesA son of Avalon seesFalling leaves as fate takes holdAmid autumn’s leaves of gold ©JGFarmer2020
Lady of Flowers
Goddess born of floral bloom Spring beauty on witch’s broom...
Three Roses
Roses, a gift from me heart to show in art I love ye. Each bloom presents part of me...
Dragon’s Breath
Somewhere sings a lover’s song Beneath sheets of velvet dreams Fantasy and love gone wrong...
Howl
Do not fear his cry tonight Hear his song without your fright...
Unison
I hear the sweet gentle voice calling me It is my heart’s rejoice For now, love has made its choice...
Colours Change
The seasons turned, summer passed The cricket games came and went As colours change the trees blast...
From Time Gone By
In old tales of Wales, we see Bards through the Mabinogi Myth and magic come to be...
The Dream of Macsen Wledig
In his dreams, she came, a lovely maiden Fading fast as he awoke And so to his men he spoke..
Echo in a Hollow
From the realms of death, he came With tales to tell and exclaim So poets echo his name...
It Started with a Kiss 2020
Poet’s Note: A rewrite of my 2008 poem was suggested by an Irishman to a Welshman – so combining Irish and Welsh forms here – let the fun begin
Cewri
Idris king of mountains high His chair reaching to the sky...
Ceffyl Dŵr
Old legends of a water horse From beneath Welsh waterfalls, of course Rarely seen and fades in the mist...
Bendith y Mamau
She is speaking, our Great Mother Not blessings or love to smother Her other messages unheard...
Bwbach
By the fireside, there sits he A friendly soul come by thee There he sits darning a sock...
Tylwyth Teg
The fairest fae Or so they say Longs for a child...
Afanc and the Fool
A mysterious creature Said to lure the fools to swim The pretty pool at Conwy
Bran
The king stands tall To save his child A maiden mild
Pwyll and Rhiannon
Old Celtic tales echo o’er vales Pwyll, prince of Wales called for one year
Raven’s Wings
Form: Hir a Thoddaid The snow falls softly on this winter night As the magical dreams begin their flight In the darkness the world of inner sight
Restoration
Form: Gwawdodyn hir Like tears it comes to ease guilt and pain And wash away the last teary stain So exhausted I can sleep again
October Chill
Form: Gwawdodyn To walk along the forest path now Amid the vibrance of every bow
A King’s Love
Form: Cyrch a chwta I won’t be back home tonight I’m bidding farewell to light Of summer days that shined bright
Summer Stillness
Form: Cyhydedd Naw Ban It is in the stillness of the noon Without wind there sings a gentle rune The god of the Sun calling his moon
A Night in July
Form: Cyhydedd Hir On an evening breeze that brings us its ease to summer’s hot frieze So ends the day
Rapture in Twilight
Form: Cyhydedd fer They called you Ra so long ago Reborn each day in cosmic glow
A Summer Ball
Form: Clogyrnach As springtime meets the summer breeze And seasons turn with gentle ease
The Challenge of April
Form: Byr a thoddaid The challenge a poem per day Each year NaPoMo comes to stay
Triad to Spring
As life returns I think of these things Three in number and my heart sings At the first bloom of a golden daffodil Now the seasons turn at the universe’s will And the balance of dark and light ‘Tis equinox; there be magic tonight © JG Farmer 2018 Form: Triad
The Bourgeois Touch
Celebrating joys of romance A touch bourgeois And the poet writes in freelance Ah nah aha The laughter that they share after A touch bourgeois The dreams of love found in laughter Ah nah aha © JG Farmer 2018 Form: Sneadhbhairdne
Anrheg Natur
Truth in the beauty of nature Nurtured amid the wild growth Naked anarchy day and night Nature’s gift, a Mother’s oath © JG Farmer 2018 Form: Seadna
Alban Elfed
Welcome winds of autumn Take me home to harvest Blessed wings of bounty Cross-county flies carvist So, the sun is setting Searing skies brought afire Sire of gods and gentry In plenty praise inspire © JG Farmer 2018 Form: Rionnaird tri-nard
Gŵyl Awst
Days are waning, and nights draw in Harvest fields dry, reaping begins Autumn days enchanting time Barley and corn from summer haze © JG Farmer 2017 Form: Rannaicheacht Mhor
Alban Hefin
Summer heat Solstice day and merry meet And the Sun God rises high To lie amid the blossom Lover’s act United by sacred pact Fertile fruits that bring us mirth As Mother Earth shares her love © JG Farmer 2018 Form: Rannaicheacht Ghairid
Calan Mai
Summer fires with ladies dancing She’s chancing while playing He’s laying wait for romancing For his glance, she’s staying © JG Farmer 2017 Form: Rannaicheacht Bheag
