This blog's poems are from my published poetry book Star Steeds and Other Dreams: The Collected Poems (CFZ Press: Bideford, 2009) and are © Dr Karl P.N. Shuker, 2009. Except for author-credited review purposes, it is strictly forbidden to reproduce any of these poems elsewhere, either in part or in entirety, by any means, without my written permission.

How to purchase Star Steeds and Other Dreams

If you wish to buy this book, which is 230 pages long and is ISBN 978-1-905723-40-9, it is readily available online from its publisher, CFZ Press of Bideford, Devon, UK at http://www.cfz.org.uk/ and also from such major literary websites as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Waterstones, W H Smith, and sellers on AbeBooks to name but a few. You can also purchase a signed copy directly from me, the author - please email me at karlshuker@aol.com for full details.

Available from Amazon.com , from Amazon.co.uk , and directly from the publisher in quantities at: www.cfz.org.uk.

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Friday 19 September 2014

SANCTUARY


Seeing this lovely illustration online and the expression of sublime peace on the face of the fox, knowing that it was perfectly safe in this tranquil, magical place, made me think of how many ways can sanctuary be defined, and what sanctuary means to me, which in turn inspired me to write the following poem.
 

SANCTUARY

Where might I find sanctuary,
Somewhere safe, secure, serene,
Where I could once again be loved,
Cared for,
Cherished?

Like a vale of green mists and golden shadows
Where a fox can lie and linger,
Undisturbed and unthreatened, a haven of peace.

Like a realm of leafy trees and fragrant meadows
Where tiny birds can sing in joy,
Beneath Heaven's bright, resplendent dome of glory.

Like the sanctuary of a mother's heart
Where a child can live and be loved,
Knowing that here he will always be safe, will always be home.





Thursday 18 September 2014

THE GREEN MAN


While browsing information online concerning the ancient European symbol of fertility and rebirth known as the Green Man for a future article that I am planning to write on this subject, I came upon these extraordinary, surreal images, above and below, which inspired me to pen the following poem.


THE GREEN MAN

Cometh the Green Man,
Stepping forth from the meadows of our ancient mind,
Shedding leaves of withered verdigris
As rebirth restores him anew,
To replenish, regenerate, reactivate, revive,
Reproduce and reassemble, recreate and resurrect.
Fertility, fecundity, his horns imbue their essence,
Erect and branching outward to embrace, enthral, encompass.

He strides from shade and shadow,
Confronting noontide sunlight
With viridescent swagger
And cuprous confrontation:

"I return, and return,
Every day I relive,
The world is mine for as long as I so choose it to be,
For as long as I nurture its nature,
For as long as I seed it, sustain it,
For as long as my beating heart revitalises its existence."

And then, he is gone –
Lost among the sunbeams and solitude
Of a bright, beautiful, golden afternoon,
Heading onward to the green twilight of tomorrow,
Where the cycle of rejuvenation, reinvigoration,
Will begin all over again.
So be it now,
And let it be so forever more.




 
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