In the river Conon, bright
Ripples in the mystic night,
Mists and wails of storm bane, strong
Voices raised in awful song.
Cousin to ‘each-uisge’, Lord
Of what lies beyond the ford,
I, of rock and rapid Queen,
I, of bank and pool serene
Mistress, quick of leap and shape,
Salmon’s run and Char’s escape,
Warn you of the coming gale,
Drive you home before the hail.
Simple folk in crofts and feus –
‘Kelpie’ is the word they use,
Thinking that such charms will tame
One like me, whose fairy name
Never can be cowed by tongue,
Nor can come to sound among
People of the daylight hours,
Mortals, whom my hidden powers
Fascinate, entrap, entomb
In the gloaming and the gloom.
Burn-side traveller, beware
My sweet voice… my tangled hair…
Author notes
clip art courtesy of www.aon-celtic.com
In a list
A contest entry
- ~Poems From the Enchanted Realm~ Group contest by Melodies.
450 points, ended March 7, 2007, 8 entries
Gold trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Comments
1 - 15 of 15
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Enchanting.
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Thank you
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Congrats on the gold trophy! This was wonderful, enchanting verse. My best, ♥ Belle
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Oh by the way, it is ear-marked for publication - see my author page.
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Jings! That fact slipped by me! Thank you for your appreciation, Belle
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Ah sweet wonder...
Enjoyed the enchantment very much! You have such a way with words and my favorite image, oddly, is the tangled hair. 
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The mind wonders ....
Beautiful but the erotic last line lingers on pleasantly evoking a warm feeling of desire.
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Well now, "erotic" eh? Och there's maybe a hint of that in the danger of the kelpie. Thank's for dropping by, Bazza.
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wonderfully intriguing, Mairi.... you have drawn me into this worlds of Kelpies which I will no doubt have to go explore some more this morning. Beware the voice, isn't that what they always say? Poor sailors. Actually, I was just reading in a magazine my daughter gets that the selkies were known to be rescuing the ones who fell overboard, in opposition of the mermaid lore. Well, I love it all...
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The kelpie I have imagined here is more mysterious, more capricious, more dangerous than the harmless naiad that warns of approaching storms. A shape-changer, normally in the form of a horse (like the 'each-uisge' that haunts the lochs). I am glad you like the poem - I threw it together in about ten minutes, I have to say, so it is a little rough-hewn.
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Aye, a poem of true enchantment!
I sigh with happy contentment after reading this charming poem with images that warm my heart! 
What a pleasure to read such beautiful lines! 
I feel like my day has been set on a wonderful course of happy pleasure. Thank you so much! 
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You quite sure you couldn't find a few more smilies to use? ... Dear Melodies, thank you.
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wonderful, Ms. Bheag ;)
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Why thank you, ms. phrute
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