I'm making a change to my reader membership. From September 2021, each member will receive a short ebook from my writings of the month.
For the poetry members, a chapbook of poems. For fiction membrs, a short story of novel extract. I'll send this benefit through Patreon and readers will receive it on the first Monday of the month.
Until now, I've been posting new poems exclusively to my poetry patrons in Patreon, 90 days before I release it to the rest of the world. So today is the final blog publication day for one of these poems, “The Deer's Cry”.
This is another one of the reworked old Irish poems I’ve been working on, this one adapted from the poem of that name I found in Kuno Meyer’s Selections from Ancient Irish Poetry.
This is a fascinating book for anyone interested in Irish culture but also in human psychology. These poems reveal a way of thinking about life and love, men and women, good and evil that's different to ours, unfamiliar and strange.
Voiced by St Patrick, the poem reveals a patriarchal Christianity that was progressive in its day and my adaptation aims to keep what’s most universal in its human emotions, and most edifying in its spiritual beliefs. The aim was to remould it for our times while retaining its rhythm and soulfulness.
I hope you enjoy it.
And if you'd like to join me as a member and receive a mini ebook from me each month, you can find out more here.
The Deer's Cry
I arise today
through a mighty strength,
the invocation of three.
Belief in threeness
experience of twoness
confession of oneness.
Creation, created.
I arise today
through the goals of patriarchs,
the nurturance of mothers
the preachings of prophets
the prayers of apostles,
the pains of confessors,
the forgiveness of priests
the games of children,
the duties of the day.
I arise today
Through the mighty strength
and endless kindness
of the heavens.
Light of sun,
Radiance of moon.
Splendour of fire.
Speed of lightning.
Swiftness of wind.
Depth of sea.
Stability of earth.
Firmness of rock.
I arise today
Through life's strength to pilot me:
life's might to uphold me,
life's wisdom to guide me,
life's eye to look before me,
life's ear to hear me,
life’s word to speak for me,
life's hand to guard me,
life's way to lie before me,
life's shield to protect me,
life's host to save me
from the snares of opinion,
from the temptations of vice,
and any ones who may wish me ill,
afar or anear, alone or in a multitude.
I summon today
all these powers
between me and those evils,
every cruel capacity that may oppose
the health of my body, mind and soul:
incantations of false thinking,
false laws, false beliefs, false spells,
the encouragement of false feelings
that corrupt. Instead I arise today
and invoke almighty love
to shield me today against poison,
against burning, against drowning, against wounding,
So that there may come to me abundance of reward.
Love with me,
Love before me,
Love behind me,
Love in me,
Love beneath me,
Love above me,
Love on my right,
Love on my left,
Love when I lie down,
Love when I sit down,
Love in the heart of every human who thinks of me,
Love in the mouth of every human who speaks of me,
Love in every eye that sees me,
Love in every ear that hears me.
I arise to-day
Through a mighty strength,
the invocation of three.
Belief in threeness
experience of twoness
confession of oneness.
Creation, created.
————
Thank you to my reader members who keep me in the writing seat! If you're a member already, I'm forever grateful, and I hope you enjoy your monthly books and bonuses. If you'd like to become a reader member, you can find out how to do that here.