MABON autumn equinox 

Jack Frost takes his first tentative steps.
Mulch sounds a slight crackle, underfoot. 
Strong and lean as cuween breath. 
Soon he will hunt and he will take.
The hoarfrost, rime baked
Longs to taste flesh again.

All labour’s in thrall, to second harvest.
In our year, we gather three times.
We nap the stone in this new age
Scrape the hides, shape the wood.
No wheel, button or forge yet.

Preserve, prepare against a great freeze
Sheltered in fur and fire’s good heat
We kill foxes, wolves and red squirrels 
To feed the larder of life and death.

For thousands of years ice sat here,
Nearly a kilometre thick.
Although long ago winter still freezes deep.
In our genes we cleave to the memory, 
Of ice and it’s mighty deprivations.

©️ david/dai fry 11th September 2019.