artwork copyright © Josephine Wall
Initiation
Penny Gerking
Twelve moon-wise women, rich in years,
brought baskets laced with love and ribbons,
filled with faded photographs and honey-scented candles.
In celebration of the ancient rites
all corners of the earth and sky stood witness;
wind and earth, owl and wolf: the very air was moved.
Good witches all, we gave what lay within
our power; hope and blessings, tales and prophecy.
Blood-red roses slowly spread, lilies breathed snow.
The aunties sang, for Jennifer, her natal lullaby.
Sweet harmony. We grannies wept. And Jennifer stood
proud and tall, a woman-child among her peers, at home
in love's fierce, sacred circle.
Author Bio
Penny Gerking is a retired RN, has published poetry in The Lyric, Outer Darkness, Perspectives, and ezines; mipo's ella, The Horsethief's Journal, The Green Tricycle, Nectarzine as well as other anthologies and journals. She is editor of Retrozine the journal of memories and administrates the on-line forums Heaven's Pennies. She writes fiction, mainstream and sci fi, facilitates writing groups, teaches at workshops, and still finds playing with the grandkids the most fun of all.
Read another poem by Penny
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- Read Humming Softly - a poem.
First published in MiPo's Women Beat, Ella Issue #1, 2002. Re-printed by permission of the author.
Josephine Wall
