Today’s prompt was based on the aisling, a poetic form that developed in Ireland. An aisling recounts a dream or vision featuring a woman who represents the land or country on/in which the poet lives, and who speaks to the poet about it.

Today’s challenge was to write a poem that recounts a dream or vision, and in which a woman appears who represents or reflects the area in which I live.

We shall see how this goes today. We shall see what form my dream-visitor takes.

Happy reading!

Our Lady of the Garden

In the garden
a tiny, perfect 
bird landed
on my shoulder.

Jewel-toned
and stunning,
the bird 
morphed into a 
beautiful woman
right before 
my eyes.

The trumpet vines
flashing brilliant
orange flowers 
shone in the sun 
like a halo
around her head.

My angel with 
her flaming crown,
and delicate hands,
she felt
born of spirit,
born of dream.

Sing, she told me
Sing of the Universe.
Sing of the beauty
of the earth.

In my dream-state 
I sing her song. 

I see in her
the land and sky;
she connects me 
to water and earth.
The waves roll
in her laughter;
the plants flourish
under her hands.

From my heart
I sing of us.

We become
a tapestry,
woven together—
garden and bird,
woman and earth.

When I wake,
it is daylight.
I look out 
my window
and see
a hummingbird—
wings whirling
without resting—
sipping nectar 
from flaming goblets 
shaped like 
trumpet flowers.

—cjpjordan