1. The Angel and the Buzzard
Above the Ljubljana plain
A buzzard wheels, then tips its wings,
Its eyes fixated on a point
Where, in the grass, a halo glints.
The angel fell to earth in search
Of Jason and the golden fleece.
Instead he found a world of fear:
A mythless world of worthless wealth.
The buzzard lands: it speaks no word.
The angel and the buzzard stare
Into each others’ eyes, and know
They come from better worlds than this.
The angel nods, then leaves this world.
The buzzard screams for all it’s worth.
2. The Forest Man
Beneath his canopy of pine –
Far deeper than his stands of beech –
The forest man is moving rocks:
He’s building walls around his tales.
His beard: a twist of ivy fronds.
His mind: a mass of histories gone.
He plants his feet with sapling oaks,
He carves the tunes of violins.
His walls are taller than before.
They hide the world of dragon’s teeth,
Of golden chamois, witch’s curse,
But still the forest man builds on.
He knows our world has lost its myths.
He’ll keep his stories safely hid.
3. The Shadow Figures of the Vrsic Pass
I took the high road through the pass.
The rain and mist whisped round the pine,
Above the trees the clouds touched earth:
I saw the shadow figures there.
I moved towards them, they withdrew.
The shadow figures knew the tracks:
They knew them like the hazel grouse.
They padded lightly with the lynx.
I saw their faces briefly there:
Beyond the rock face, glaring down.
I saw their questions, wild and raw,
With human eyes and shadow souls.
The mists soon closed the Vrsic Pass:
The shadow figures melted back.
4. The Once Great Dragons
Of course the dragons are still here:
What else could make a mountain shake?
What other creature barks at night,
And turns the forest tops to steam?
Their fear lives deep within the woods
And writes itself on cavern walls.
Their scales are found on river beds,
Their teeth and claws still scour the land.
And in the dark you hear them prowl
The village margins seeking blood.
Their rumbling feet, primeval growls,
Will haunt your sleeping, drifting hours.
The dragons curl in caves and cry:
They once were myths, but now they’re lies.
With thanks to Maja and Luka.
Gavin R Jones 