Machynys

Summer.

A misnomer, a laugh, a joke,
a poke in the eye of the hopeful children, offspring
of the Mabinogi.
An apricot splash on the flannel grey vest of the western sky,
a flash of tomorrow, the sun slowly sinks;
the night draws in, expectations wane with the waxing of Lady Luna,
cool-hearted queen who dominates and nominates the next in line.
Machynys stays silent.
New and old, hand in hand.
The water swirls, dangerous, treacherous.
Wild ponies are watchful, scenting the salt and the marsh,
continuing their harsh existence without complaint.
A bowlful of stars, upended and endless, is cradling the creatures
that move and sleep and keep
the faith.

Sea grass waving, languishing over the lonely shore,
reaching out to Atlantis, Lyonesse and Ys, hidden lands from
aeons ago,
seen by the few who care to stare
long enough at the deep,dark sea.
I see them.
I stare in wonder at the ocean mountains, hazy and cloudy.
Monster lizards lounge at the end of the world, hungry and sly,
edging out to the brink of beyond, but forever still and silent. Beasts of rock.
I look up at the sea, for that's where it is; cupped in the hand of Donn, safe for now,
but when the west wind howls and rages, whips itself to a frenzy, and the
moon is full and white....
....the thin silver line is breached, and the water reclaims the earth.

Rushing, engulfing, the swallowing black sea
washes over the fragile, brittle landscape.
Foolish men who thought all would be well, will suffer
the flood, the mud, the mess, and confess
the error of their ways.
The tall white castles, domains of lords of luck and gain, will fall,
crumble and tumble, make fat cats humble.
Retribution.

Machynys. My childhood land of freedom and fantasy.
Wind-blown races on the sand, hand in hand
with distant, forgotten friends.
Long estranged from the untamed grassland of fabulous stories,
dens and unclimbed quarries....
....but still in my heart centre, my yearning, secretive soul.

Ruby Red

The shabby, pink shoes were full of holes, but her heart was intact;
full and complete.
Her zest for life shone bright and clear,
her smile was soft and sweet, but her secretive eyes glowed darkly.
She moved through the woods silently, weaving her familiar way through the serious
trees;
her bare brown knees were bleeding, scratched by spiteful thorns that
dared to challenge her authority.
The humming bees welcomed the gypsy as she descended into the sunlit valley,
like a queen returning home triumphantly, in another time,
another forest.
Gently swaying, she sang to herself, a magical melody from a long time ago,
when the forest was young and so was she....

She knew he was there, she stood her ground without turning around,
her inner woman swiftly detecting
the masculine scent of the dark-haired youth.
She calmly paused. Waited quietly. Knowing his next move even before he knew it himself.
Her breaths deepened, her lips parted and her little pink tongue started to
caress her sharp white teeth.
The gypsy's smile widened, her dark eyes closed in intense concentration.
Swinging around, her curly hair danced a tangled tarantella around her amber face.
She was on fire.
He loved her.

The hot sun warmed his smooth, bare chest.
Sweat glistened in a thousand tiny diamonds,
running down his body, coming to rest
where her eyes longed to linger.
Hypnotised by the subtle scent of womanly musk, the sensuous swing of her hips and
those madder-red lips,
he followed the gypsy, down through the long grass, to the river.
Down to the river, the snaky, slow-running sliver of deep, silent water,
keeper of secrets, where the reeds swayed and played their ancient music.

And the familiar song, a thousand years old, filled her head
as she led
him onwards, holding his big, strong hand in her long, slim fingers.
He made no objection as she made him lie down in the shady grove, had no
recollection of who he was, or why he had gone there.....
Lost in the depths of her gypsy eyes, drowning gladly in the power of her persuasive passion,
he surrendered, and lay on the soft, cool grass.
He gazed up at Ruby, wondering ....


Closing his long-lashed eyes, he heard birdsong
and dreamed of endless skies
of deepest blue, of the gypsy's lithe and lusty thighs; he awaited her kiss,
breathed in her heady and intoxicating perfume,longed for the moment when her satiny, golden skin would melt with his. He wanted to fly....
Ruby smiled again. She pulled out her little, sharp knife, the taker and giver of life,
and held it up high
where its silver blade flashed in the sun.
With a triumphant laugh, she brought it down quickly
and cut out his heart.
Which was hers from the start.