Every Atom of Our Being by Annelinde Metzner

In the vibrant, sensual, lush season of Beltaine, when all the world (at least in our hemisphere!) awakens to greenness, rebirth and new life, I’m pulled to express myself through the body.  The Goddess is our body, and the Earth’s body, and that of all beings.  The sacred is in every atom of our being.  The snake, and the apple, and the tree are all symbols of Her, and She gives us the many gifts of our body without shame.  She loves to hear us singing back, as She sings to us.

 In my poem, “Red Oleander,” I’m feeling spun-out and almost overwhelmed with the beauty of the world by the sea, enchanted by colors and sounds, and especially by scents, that most ancient of the senses. The palmetto is an emblem of the state of South Carolina, along with the crescent moon, and at this particular time, we had a view of a dove’s nest within the basket-like fronds of the palm tree.  What a blessing to see everything anew, like a newborn babe.  Deb Pollard’s art, which she painted for this poem, gives that bright sense of pulsation when the world surprises us with Her energy again and again.

My second poem, “Dogwood Blossoms on a White Sky,” was composed closer to home, in fact, in my backyard.  Every Spring it seems I’m especially drawn to one color or species of tree or flower, and this year, as well as then, it’s the lacey, gracefully suspended blossoms of the Dogwood tree, one of the first native trees to bloom in the woods.  I’m reminded how, in Japan, walking among the cherry blossoms is a profoundly sacred ritual shared by many.

My third poem, “Illumination,” comes from a recent experience where I awoke to be astonished by the bright beam of the almost-full moon, at a perfect angle in the sky to climb slowly up my body, all through the wee hours of the night. To many of us, the Moon is a beloved and old friend, and it was a generous and healing gift to feel Her lavish Her light upon me.

Red Oleander                                                                                        

A salamander pale green as the new leaves of May
opens its orange lung-sac, brilliant, to the sun.
Three times at every pause!
In the breeze, red Oleander bends on her long stem, celebrating.
I am drawn down a quiet lane by the scent of jasmine
beguiling my heart, a path toward joy.
The dear Earth wafts up into me,
warm as fresh-baked bread,
filling my womb with Her love.
With my feet in the sand,
I pull Her love into me,  to power my days.
Mother holds me tenderly, the mourning dove
in her palmetto-basket nest, giving, giving,
we Her babies, Her vast dream,
we Her future and Her now.
The black fin of a dolphin arises from the sea, ancient as days,
loving Her into the fathomless tomorrow.

Annelinde Metzner, June 1, 2010

Dogwood Blossoms on a White Sky                        

Today, dogwood blossoms upon a white, rain-soaked sky.
This is my world!
Robins chatter so earnestly, so convincingly,
I strain to discern their meaning.
A bluejay sails in a straight line through the newly-green trees.
This is my world!
This too, the whip-poor-will reminding, reminding,
the hummingbird bold, almost in-my-face,
this world so capable of cruelty, of pain,
where fear may shatter the day in a heartbeat,
this world too!  lies here, fragrant,
brand-new green of early Spring,
dogwood blossoms splayed open,
dancing princesses against the snow-white sky.
Azaleas, salmon-colored,
reach ever wider for our hearts and our wondering eyes.
This too is my world,
this unfathomable place,
my Earth, its fears, its joy and its tears,
this beauty,
white petals open to the whitest sky.

Annelinde Metzner, April 25, 2015

Illumination                                              

The Moon, La Luna, not quite full,
but still pretty damn big,
scattered Her blessings upon me all night long.
She moved over my body slowly,
from my feet up to my head,
with Her cool midnight light.
I awoke and She was not yet done,
still at it, offering me Her ablutions,
baptizing my belly, my lungs, my heart.
All was still but the tiny hum
of the heater on that cold Spring night.
She spent the whole night blessing me.

Annelinde Metzner, April 9, 2023

Bio

Annelinde Metzner honors the Divine Feminine with her poetry and music. She has composed many praise songs included in her songbook, “Lady of Ten Thousand Names,” and has created and produced concerts for the Goddess including most recently, “Feminine Faces of God.” She directs the choir at the UUCSV in Black Mountain, NC, and founded the women’s choirs Womansong and Sahara Peace Choir in Asheville NC. http://annelindesworld.blogspot.com