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 …

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

Dychwelyd y Gwanwyn

The winter’s reign is receding Just remnants in spring’s succession Seasons turning and mischief misleading The merriment in perennial progression Pastel blushes as trees are blossoming Behold the beauty, sweet and sensual Senses echo with passions promising Spiritual pairing within a Pagan’s Pentacle   © JG Farmer 2017 Form: Droighneach

Triad to Love

Three things I give to show thee love Declared to thee by moon above: The first gift is my heart unbound The second my pride laid on the ground So the third, my humility can be found; All these things I give thee in love   ©JG Farmer 2013 Form: Triad

Gŵyl Fair y Canhwyllau

Ancient circle cast to call The spring song from winter’s shawl Vibrant visions in my view Subtle hues of Brigid’s brew The cold clings on as life grows Beneath solid ground and snows And winter wanes to spring’s breeze While budding trees thin the freeze ©JG Farmer Form: Deibhidhe

Nadolig

As the winter skies darken And black storms howl the arcane Heed red clouds and harken The Sun King greets us again Dark nights intimidating A world of change awaiting Turn of seasons predating Winter’s winds breath abaiting On Solstice night he’s reborn Decked in green and holly thorn The festive colours adorn Fireside merriment …

Tachwedd

Summer’s End turns November And autumn turns to winter While the sprits remember As in the fires logs splinter The veil no more intervenes Between the dead and living And the circle reconvenes Then and now in thanksgiving In dance and song celebrate Beginning the year anew Divining runes calculate And to days past bid …