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Fairy Glade
Copyright © 2004
by Wojtek Stawowiak

The rising moon has hid the stars;
Her level rays, like golden bars,
Lie on the landscape green,
With shadows brown between.

And silver white the river gleams,
As if Diana, in her dreams,
Had dropt her silver bow
Upon the meadows low.

On such a tranquil night as this,
She woke Endymion with a kiss,
When, sleeping in the grove,
He dreamed not of her love.

Like Dian's kiss, unasked, unsought,
Love gives itself, but is not bought;
Nor voice, nor sound betrays
Its deep, impassioned gaze.

It comes,--the beautiful, the free,
The crown of all humanity,--
In silence and alone
To seek the elected one.

It lifts the boughs, whose shadows deep
Are Life's oblivion, the soul's sleep,
And kisses the closed eyes
Of him, who slumbering lies.

O weary hearts! O slumbering eyes!
O drooping souls, whose destinies
Are fraught with fear and pain,
Ye shall be loved again!

No one is so accursed by fate,
No one so utterly desolate,
But some heart, though unknown,
Responds unto his own.

Responds,--as if with unseen wings,
An angel touched its quivering strings;
And whispers, in its song,
"'Where hast thou stayed so long?"

Heavenly light
Copyright © 2004
by Stan Pustylnik

Woodland Encounter

While walking in the forest green,
(You won't believe what I have seen!)
Behind an oak was, yes, indeed,
A noble Palomino steed!

A naked man astride the horse,
(Oblivious to all, of course);
His head of hair, it matched the tail!
How very odd that BOTH were pale...

A quiver of arrows on his back;
A bow in hand (I think was black);
He held it high and drew the string -
Readied to make an arrow sing.

He gazed intently as he took aim.
(To him the hunt was just a game -
His target was a cloud in passing.
I almost couldn't keep from laughing!)

(The jollity of Jupiter
Exuded from him, as it were;
Compelling me to stay awhile,
Longing for a jovial smile).

And as the magic arrow flew,
I realized 'twas just us two
There among the autumn leaves...
(Oh, to tell one who believes!)

He strode from shadow into sun -
The horse and man, I SWEAR, were one!
A Centaur there before my eyes!
I shook my head...my vision lies?

I gaped in disbelieving awe!
Magnificence is what I saw!
Intelligence and pride were there;
I simply could not help but stare!

Feeling drawn to know this creature,
I studied every minute feature.
A glint of blue flashed from his eyes;
His subtle smile gave me sighs...

But there was just so much to know!
I couldn't let this fellow go!
So finally asked, "From where'd you come?"
And then, aghast, saw what I'd done!

A startled, mighty leap past Mars!
He took his place among the stars;
His outline form was dots of flame -
Sagittarius was his name...