The Gathering

The Gathering

By Dawn Van Win

                        

‘Twas All Hallows on that night

When at the beach I saw a sight

That stirred emotions raw and mixed

I stood there watching quite transfixed 

Was I 

By this strangest sight

Of women dancing in the night

By moon so full

In nature’s thrall

They had no clothes on

None at all!

Initial thoughts of fear and dread

Gave way to something else instead

When once I may have run and hid

I thought I’d join them

So I did

They welcomed me with open arms 

The sea it beckoned deep and calm

And so we stepped into the brine

The moon continuing to shine

It’s wondrous light 

on spirits free

All gathered in the name of She

These mothers, daughters, sisters too

All with an inner calling knew

To come here to this wildest place

And dance and laugh and raise a face

Up to that gentle silver light

All shame and doubt had taken flight

And so on Hallow’s Eve each year

All of those tales of dread and fear

Of vampires, bats and walking dead

Are just a veil placed to distract

The masses 

from this simple fact

That while some gather to trick or treat

And shuffle up and down the streets

A smaller group, perhaps a few

Who knows exactly what to do

Are summoned by our Mother Nature 

To seek a wild place for adventure 

So if your granny, daughter, mum

Pops out the door with errands to run

And it seems late, the witching hour

Don’t make her wait, 

She feels the power 

of this time, this special eve

When of her senses she may leave

And though you may not recognise

This fiery light behind her eyes

One usually so meek and mild 

She has an inner, wilder child

It isn’t that her nature’s switched

It’s just her inner, knowing witch!

Copyright Dawn Van Win