“Well Offering” by Mael Brigde

Well Offering

 

deep

deep and black the shaft of your great well

sinks through yielding earth to touch

the sidhe

 

bronze

bronze and fine the offerings to

goddess Brig

forged and split and given to your world

 

below

below the shifting winds

and rain-wet fog

below the bawling calf

and peeling yew

 

far below

a goddess hears and listens

we cast our bounty

deep into your well

 

 

 Image: "St. Brigid's Well, Armagh." Vintage Irish postcard.

This poem is mentioned in a post on my general interest Brigit blog, Brigit's Sparkling Flame here: Reading to Brigit.

“Millstone” by Mael Brigde

 

Millstone

 

it is alleged

—can it be true? —

that your millstone

would not grind

a druid’s grain

 

this I can’t accept

this stone

guided by your grace

hurtling unsmashed

clear down the mountain

 

why would such a lavish gift

from such a giving saint

grow stingy at the druid’s faith?

 

you were kindly raised

by one of the elder cloth

kin and friends were pagan

you yourself bore

a goddess name

 

no

 

I think these are the words

of those who said

The Jews killed Jesus

when Jesus was himself

a loyal Jew

 

grind the druid’s corn

fair millstone

be what you were hewn to be

 

don’t take the blame

for cruel cowards’ acts

Image: "A millstone to heavy to lift?" by Ashley Dace.  CC BY-SA 2.0