Thursday, August 02, 2007

Poetry Thursday: An Aisling



According to showhouse.com, "The aisling, dream or vision, poetry was either amatory or political in which a comely spéirbhean, or sky-woman, appears to the poet in a dream. For instance, in the 10-century Aisling Oneguso, the poet sees a beautiful maiden in a dream, with whom he falls in love and is eventually united.... By the 18th century, although the love-aisling was still in use, the genre was more often devoted to political deliverance where the dream-woman was Ireland personified. "

Here are just the first four stanzas of the aisling I have written. When I finished it, I thought what a nice children's book it would make, with (someone else's) lovely illustrations. Once upon a time I considered myself an aspiring writer, and I've (sadly) been on the receiving end of a nicely written rejection letter. Maybe I'll actually polish up my writer's hat and send query letters to some children's picture book publishers.


How green the hills and blue the sky,
where I lay down and breathed a sigh.
How sweet the scent of clover mown
and fields of flowers overgrown.


How deep the sleep that beckoned me
with promises so deep and free.
How warm the hill where I lay long,
hearing only the summer’s song.

The song fell silent and I woke
as a barefoot nymph in green spoke.
She spoke in words as old as time.
I felt the meaning in their rhyme

She led me to a river blue.
She lifted wings and off we flew.
We saw the whole world wide and green,
and all the oceans in between.


~ photos and poetry by Aisling, July & August 2007, all rights reserved.

14 comments:

Robbin said...

It's beautiful Aisling, and yes! YES! You must send in some of your writing. You must, you must! LOL. (I'd buy all your books!)
I've been waiting for Thursday all week because I had no idea what aisling poetry was. And now I do. So thank you for that.

Marcie said...

Robbin, I had never heard of an aisling either until last fall when I was looking at types of poetry to use for my family's blog nicknames. Thanks for the vote of confidence! Next up a limerick, and I groan at every phrase I try to start with! LOL!

Lesley said...

Gorgeous lily, Aisling. Lovely poem too, you are very talented.

Thanks also for asking about my health. I've had a very bad chest cold which has sent my asthma off the charts, and have been feeling pretty rotten. Ironically we now have some summer weather (AT LAST!!!), but I have been too poorly to do anything. It's nice to know someone cares about me. :-) Hope all is well with you?

Marcie said...

Lesley, Thanks for the photo on the lily. I think it's Casablanca. Thank you also for the comment on the poem! It's nice to be writing more these days!

I'm sorry to hear you were ill. I was afraid you were when your blog was quiet for so long. I hope you are on the mend and can enjoy the summer weather! I am fine but so busy. I hope to find the time to write about the things that have been keeping me busy. Stay tuned! *grin*

Catherine Mary said...

Aisling, I've come back several times to read your aisling. There are many lovely pictures I see when I read it. I like the phrase, "I lay down and breathed a sigh" at the beginning. It makes me stop, breathe a sigh and relax and enjoy the rest of the aisling. In just a few verses you take me from a hillside to the top of the world!

Marcie said...

Catherine Mary, What a very nice compliment! Thank you so much. I'm off for a very busy day, but you've helped start it off on a bright note! :)

Nan said...

I'd give this an acceptance letter! Really lovely.

Marcie said...

Why thank you, Nan! :)

Debra from Bungalow said...

Hi there, I've picked you for a fun tag. Please drop by my blog to see.

Michele said...

Beautiful, Aisling! I so adore your writing..sigh..

Marcie said...

Debra, Ok! I'll head over there soon!

Rapunzel, *blushing* Thank you so much, dear friend!

L.L. Barkat said...

Peaceful poem!

Now about the writing thing.... I am saving all of my rejection letters in a big fat file. (And I have a book coming out in March.) Even being an author is no guarantee of getting writing assignments, because the writing world is so astonishingly competitive!

This is what I love about blogging. Instant publishing, with feedback.

Anonymous said...

I've always wondered what an Aisling was - that's very beautiful and oh so you.

Marcie said...

l.l., I actually think sometimes that self-publishing might be a better route. *grin* And yes, blogging is a great way to write and be read. I'm trying to decide if I remember reading on your blog about the book you have coming out in the spring. Hmmm...

Grace, Thank you so much! I hope I can come up with a limerick by Thursday! lol!