Grey lady haunting night-time as an owl
You scowl at settling rime
Fly sadly by the mossy tombs
Remembering your birthing blooms
You know you bear a dreadful curse
Eternally you are to nurse
Despite of feelings you can never know
So go in fear of man
Or shall a mighty eagle swoop to rend
And lend your downward stoop
The fatal force that slew your shame
Do you recall Goronwy’s name
I conjure now each petal’s touch
And lay this just inside your clutch
A healing charm to make you cease your flight
Alight and know your peace
Author notes
The individual verses of this poem follow the welsh "Byr A Thoddaid" construction - for an explanation, please see the following site: www.poetsforthewar.org/forms/000/26.shtml . The images in the poem are drawn from the legend of Blodeuwedd, a beautiful woman made from flowers, who betrayed her lover and was doomed to life as an owl.
The picture is borrowed from www.kelticdesign.com and is reproduced here as a free advertisement. They have not replied to my request to use it here, and I am taking their silence as consent. If necessary I will be able to remove it on request.
Written June 3rd, 2006
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You pen a rhyme in such a haunting way
And play with words to daunt
To tempt the reader back to school
And learn the tale not look a fool
In Wales the tale is known by all
Even old men can recall
The magic from the early times
In rhymes they furl
Goronwy tricked and tried to kill the king
So sing oh owl your fill
The curse you bear is yours by right
You must play fair and not use sleight
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Jeff, let me just say I love those rhymes within words. You have got the knack of this so quickly.
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I told you, rhyme I can do!
All the rest I am learning, but give me something to rhyme :-)
I adore hidden rhyme Byron's four and five syllable ones have me shaking on the spot!
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Ah, a poem to cause permanent brain damage in the trying.
My brain is already like a sieve. 
But maybe I shall try one. 
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Oh yes, please do - and go in for the contest!
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Michael, thank you. You are no swine. I will add a note to the author's comments above, leading folk to an explanation of Byr A Thoddaid.
Edited on Jun 05, 7:54 because 'bad spelling'. -
bravo!
Beautiful and quite lovely, however, in my case, you are casting your pearl before swine as I do not fully know, by any means, the form that you are using. Bravo! -
Actually, Toni, I don't know when I have ever tackled a form so difficult as this. As I explained to someone else, I have in fact veered slightly away from the intended structure of the Welsh original a little. Your priase, by the way, is more precious than gold to me.
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Dear sister - of all the things I love about your poetry, this one stands above the others: your unfailing ability to put into play an accurate, yet thoughtful and artistic description of history, legend, fantasy, moral tale, fable, passionate emotions and so many many more difficult subjects. Your work is a never-ending source of entertainment and challenge to my intellect. And, as I have said before, your style is unique to you despite the fact that you seldom veer from recognized poetical form. There is not one thing contrived, no forced rhyme - not the slightest hint of an amateur's pen in your work! Hugs from your devoted sister and fan - Toni
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Nev' I found this a very difficult verse form. There are points at which an internal rhyme is non-essential, and an aliteration, assonance, some kind of visual similarity, or even an association (as in rock and stone say) would do; I actually found it easier to use an internal rhyme. The traditional Bar A Thoddaid is only a single verse, or so I am led to believe, and there are two distinct, possible structures, both of which I have used, alternately.
As for the fate of women, yes that is so. But on the other hand, the classical civilisations were more even-handed, perhaps, turning Narcissus into a flower and so on...
Anyhow, you seem to like this one, even though I have not made it a very penetrable poem. And yes, I wanted to free Blodeuwedd from her curse if possible. I felt a pang of mercy. -
excellent
Quite the incantatory Celtic thing happening here. I especially love the last stanza, where there is a poignant attempt to reverse this curse with a healing floral offering, which has so many echoes in myths and religions. It seems that ever since Eve, woman have been subject to these sorts of arbitrary eternal damnations, and that's why the final verse was so touching in it's expression of forgiveness with a merciful healing charm.
All the best!
Nevada -
there is always new life under the sun
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There's nothing new under the sun.
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that made me think of the film/story ladyhawk then, where they are forever clsoe but apart, he is a wolf by night and she is a hawk by day, they meet each other in human form briefly at every sunset and sunrise, but never enough time to touch. thanks for the background
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No problem. It is supposed to stand on its own as a poem of pure images, but it doesn't hurt to know the whole background. Blodeuwedd was created from flowers as a wife for Llew Llaw Gyffes, who was invincible (rather like Achilles in classical myth) unless a pecualiar set of charmed circumstances occurred. Blodeuwedd fell in love with Goronwy, brought about the death of Llew. Llew was magically transformed into an eagle and in turn killed Goronwy. Blodeuwedd's fate may well have to do with the fact that as a magically created woman she lacked genuine human responses; but anyhow she was transformed into an owl.
The story can be found, I believe, amongst the Welsh legends on the Mabignogion, and has been woven into an eerie classic of children's literature The Owl Service by Alan Garner - worth an adult read
I hope this info will help you and other readers to get something more out of the poem. -
ah i am glad you put in the author information as i was a little lsot as to what you were writing about the comments help a lot
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