After the sun went down
the poetic champions descended
from the forested hills
to the stony point jutting into the sea.
Sirius blazed overhead
as did Arcturus, the stars of Orion
and the great Bear.
The champions had gathered
for the moonrise
and as the earth slowly revolved
a bulb of illumination grew in the east
until with pale brilliance
the globe of the Moon
shone bright across the water.
They traded verses
in the moonlit night,
enjoying their complement
to the star crossed heaven
as they sang and chanted
to praise the ancient
and inspire the unborn,
bearing their gifts
for the billowing deep.
They sang the songlines
that hold the world together
despite the fears of the unknown.
As the Moon rose in the sky
and the star wheel turned
they departed for the forest
and high inland mountains
leaving behind
the music of words
captured in stone
and borne upon the sea.
Reading of “Poetic Champions” with music by Van Morrison