WHY WE TELL STORIES
Once there was a Magic-man, valued by his tribe
For his clarity of vision, painted in his cave.
There he had his Sacred Place and there his Sacred Fire
There he spoke the Sacred Words and drew the future near.
Once this ancient Magic-Man had a vision dream:
He saw a green and pleasant land with
high mountains, deep valleys,
Open plains and dense forests.
He told his people of his dream
And he led them to that land.
To this land.
Into the forest deep he went,
in search of a Sacred Place.
And there he built the Sacred Fire
and spoke the Sacred Words.
He asked for protection;
That his people might grow.
And they did
Our Ancestors.
Years passed by. A Shaman came to the woods.
He found the Sacred Place and he spoke the Sacred Words,
But knowledge of the Sacred Fire was lost to him.
'Never mind.' He said. 'Place and Words will have to do'
And they did.
Years passed by. A Druid came to the woods.
He found the Sacred Place,
But Fire and Words were lost to him.
'Never mind.' He said. 'The Place will have to do'
And it did.
Years passed by. A Bard came to the woods.
But Fire and Words and Place were lost to him.
'Never mind.' He said. 'Memory remains;
And whilst it does the magic will never fade.
The story alone will have to do'
And it does.
I first read this as a Jewish tale. As written it told the story of a rabbi and another rabbi and yet another rabbi; which, I felt, failed to convey the passing of time. But when I 'converted' the tale, setting it in the British mythic past, it made much more sense - successive beliefs retaining the parts that are relevant from the preceding beliefs but ultimately having to reinvent (or re-remember) the parts that are forgotten.
Originally I wrote this poem to be performed with bodhran accompaniment. Then I decided to stick with my preferred instrument and so first performed it with harp accompaniment. Subsequently it developed into a full blown story (a potted history of Ancient Britain) and that is how I usually present it. But I still like it as a poem - a proud example of Awen at work!