“The People of the Lost Sea”
By Melody Montgomery
Laughing
with the tides she calls to
come slowly
as the moon has many secrets
and her memory
is hidden from our eyes
and a storm of retorts.
We are the people of the lost sea.
We are the mind wanderers of the wind.
We are wisps of snow and effluvium.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Another Poem - Darkness Blown Out By Wind by Melody Montgomery
Darkness Blown Out by Wind
Much rang true, like something...
in the cadence of sounds droning sorrow
that illuminated
as the light illuminates what could be
as in any reality, what can be
a display of the white blossoms on the trees
the birds' steady song, to which I listen
under a blanket frayed relics and sweet memories
like the quilt's fabric my grandmother helped me weave
where the stars and moon shine past the shearing whistle
of galvanized creaking until the roar of its engine
becomes a gentler sound, carrying beveled glass
and honey to all the homes in the world
fading like my squeek and the sounds of night
with the changing lights, a low hum like...
an entirely other source of energy - point zero
with the beginning of spring growing nearer and closer
a fresher morning.
Much rang true, like something...
in the cadence of sounds droning sorrow
that illuminated
as the light illuminates what could be
as in any reality, what can be
a display of the white blossoms on the trees
the birds' steady song, to which I listen
under a blanket frayed relics and sweet memories
like the quilt's fabric my grandmother helped me weave
where the stars and moon shine past the shearing whistle
of galvanized creaking until the roar of its engine
becomes a gentler sound, carrying beveled glass
and honey to all the homes in the world
fading like my squeek and the sounds of night
with the changing lights, a low hum like...
an entirely other source of energy - point zero
with the beginning of spring growing nearer and closer
a fresher morning.
Second Blog - A Creation Story - The Raven and Seagull
So today, I am going to try to explain the link I chose for my blog "ravenandseagull"... please pardon any type-os. It is just a story.
I was recently traveling around the Southwest and kept seeing Coyotes and Ravens. I thought that these were good omens, especially the coyote that I crossed my path on the Hopi Reservation. I brought this up to a man that I met in Navajo Land. So, depending on who you ask, coyotes and ravens could be either good or bad omens.
According to this man, Ravens and Coyotes are tricksters and steal your food. This news was a bit unsettling since I was essentially travelling on my own through unfamiliar territory and then, on top of it, the room I stayed at in Sedonna was decorated solely in art with ravens and coyotes. I couldn't sleep very well...
I did as anyone would, I brought this up to a wise woman studying Shamanism. This was of tremendous help and put things back into perspective. As always, at least in my belief system, when beliefs become too black and white, such as "if you see a coyote always walk the other way and recite a prayer," for example, it can lead to fearful thinking, which was where my mind was heading... what she helped me understand is that a trickster is not a bad omen at all; they can be very helpful in elevating our minds to think about things differently.
Upon returning from my journey, I began to do a bit more research and found a creation story from the Pacific Northwest related to the Raven and Seagull, which I will recreate through embellishing for my current 0 followers :)...
The Raven and Seagull- Written by Melody Montgomery, inspired by Pacific Northwest Creation Myth
At the beginning of time, when the Great Creator created earth, each animal was given a special gift that was placed securely in a box of hardened, cedar wood. These boxes contained all of the bounty of the world, such as apple and fig seeds, wheat grass, sounds of music, ocean waves, wind, summer rain, orchids, mountain springs, carrots, joy, bliss, cacti, roses, indian paintbrushes, lavendar, rosemary...
In celebration of the creation of the earth, the Great Creator asked all of the animals to open their special gifts so that they could be shared with the world. But one animal, the seagull, refused to open this gift, which contained the light of the world. The Seagull so loved its beautiful, bright light that it wanted to keep it all to itself and not share it with the others. This was unsettling to all animals, as their own gifts could not flourish without this Great Light; it was particularly unsettling to the Raven, whose special gift was darkness and an ability to see in obscurity. The Raven's gift of darkness was a heavy burden to carry; it could see all of the other animals suffering in darkness and mourned their sadness over their gifts lying in waste.
The Raven followed the Seagull across the sky and beaches over mountains and under rivers and tried to persuade it to open its gift for the world to view. The Seagull selfishly refused. The Raven, who had asked very politely at first, began to get angry after perpetual pleas to the Seagull, as all of the animals were living in darkness and their gifts were useless without the Great Light.
So the Raven continued to follow the Seagull in the darkness, since as stated the Raven's special gift, and tried to steal the this box from the Seagull. The Seagull was very strong though and kept this box containing the Great Light securely under its giant white wing. The Raven then asked the Seagull to dance, hoping that this would cause the Seagull to lift its giant wing and drop the box so that its contents would be spread throughout the world. The Seagull refused this offer as well and continued to flee from the Raven with its box of light.
The Raven, who had many friends, spoke to the Sparrow and asked that it give it a rose, which was the gift that the Great Creator gave the Sparrow. The kind Sparrow, generous with its gift that had already been opened for the world, as were all of the other animals, gave the Raven a rose from which the Raven plucked a single thorn.
The Raven waited in darkness, until the opportune moment when the Seagull was preoccupied gazing at the Great Light in the box under its wing. The Raven took the thorn from the rose and planted it hard and securely into the Seagull's foot, very close to its ankle. This caused the Seagull to jump in extreme pain and drop the box containing the Great Light, which broke open and spread accross the earth, thus allowing all gifts to flourish in view.
The Seagull's pain was quickly eased by this stunning great light, which superceded the biting sensation near its ankle. The Seagull gazed in wonder and awe of all the gifts of the world, which had until this point only been visible to the Raven, which saw through the darkenss, and to each animal with its special gift, but not to all.
The Raven removed the thorn from the Seagull's foot with its mighty beak and the two remain friends to this day, balancing in light and darkness and dancing among the joys of creation.
Authors Note: This story is highly embellished but that's why I started this blog. XOXOX
I was recently traveling around the Southwest and kept seeing Coyotes and Ravens. I thought that these were good omens, especially the coyote that I crossed my path on the Hopi Reservation. I brought this up to a man that I met in Navajo Land. So, depending on who you ask, coyotes and ravens could be either good or bad omens.
According to this man, Ravens and Coyotes are tricksters and steal your food. This news was a bit unsettling since I was essentially travelling on my own through unfamiliar territory and then, on top of it, the room I stayed at in Sedonna was decorated solely in art with ravens and coyotes. I couldn't sleep very well...
I did as anyone would, I brought this up to a wise woman studying Shamanism. This was of tremendous help and put things back into perspective. As always, at least in my belief system, when beliefs become too black and white, such as "if you see a coyote always walk the other way and recite a prayer," for example, it can lead to fearful thinking, which was where my mind was heading... what she helped me understand is that a trickster is not a bad omen at all; they can be very helpful in elevating our minds to think about things differently.
Upon returning from my journey, I began to do a bit more research and found a creation story from the Pacific Northwest related to the Raven and Seagull, which I will recreate through embellishing for my current 0 followers :)...
The Raven and Seagull- Written by Melody Montgomery, inspired by Pacific Northwest Creation Myth
At the beginning of time, when the Great Creator created earth, each animal was given a special gift that was placed securely in a box of hardened, cedar wood. These boxes contained all of the bounty of the world, such as apple and fig seeds, wheat grass, sounds of music, ocean waves, wind, summer rain, orchids, mountain springs, carrots, joy, bliss, cacti, roses, indian paintbrushes, lavendar, rosemary...
In celebration of the creation of the earth, the Great Creator asked all of the animals to open their special gifts so that they could be shared with the world. But one animal, the seagull, refused to open this gift, which contained the light of the world. The Seagull so loved its beautiful, bright light that it wanted to keep it all to itself and not share it with the others. This was unsettling to all animals, as their own gifts could not flourish without this Great Light; it was particularly unsettling to the Raven, whose special gift was darkness and an ability to see in obscurity. The Raven's gift of darkness was a heavy burden to carry; it could see all of the other animals suffering in darkness and mourned their sadness over their gifts lying in waste.
The Raven followed the Seagull across the sky and beaches over mountains and under rivers and tried to persuade it to open its gift for the world to view. The Seagull selfishly refused. The Raven, who had asked very politely at first, began to get angry after perpetual pleas to the Seagull, as all of the animals were living in darkness and their gifts were useless without the Great Light.
So the Raven continued to follow the Seagull in the darkness, since as stated the Raven's special gift, and tried to steal the this box from the Seagull. The Seagull was very strong though and kept this box containing the Great Light securely under its giant white wing. The Raven then asked the Seagull to dance, hoping that this would cause the Seagull to lift its giant wing and drop the box so that its contents would be spread throughout the world. The Seagull refused this offer as well and continued to flee from the Raven with its box of light.
The Raven, who had many friends, spoke to the Sparrow and asked that it give it a rose, which was the gift that the Great Creator gave the Sparrow. The kind Sparrow, generous with its gift that had already been opened for the world, as were all of the other animals, gave the Raven a rose from which the Raven plucked a single thorn.
The Raven waited in darkness, until the opportune moment when the Seagull was preoccupied gazing at the Great Light in the box under its wing. The Raven took the thorn from the rose and planted it hard and securely into the Seagull's foot, very close to its ankle. This caused the Seagull to jump in extreme pain and drop the box containing the Great Light, which broke open and spread accross the earth, thus allowing all gifts to flourish in view.
The Seagull's pain was quickly eased by this stunning great light, which superceded the biting sensation near its ankle. The Seagull gazed in wonder and awe of all the gifts of the world, which had until this point only been visible to the Raven, which saw through the darkenss, and to each animal with its special gift, but not to all.
The Raven removed the thorn from the Seagull's foot with its mighty beak and the two remain friends to this day, balancing in light and darkness and dancing among the joys of creation.
Authors Note: This story is highly embellished but that's why I started this blog. XOXOX
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
First Blog - A Poem by Melody Montgomery - Notes from Wonderland
I am figuring this out so I will start with a poem I wrote a while back....
Notes From Wonderland (Author’s Proof – American Poets - Melody Montgomery)
Whispered talk of she who hid under the wind
when Time stood still beneath lightning nights
nowhere in that windy city did she let them be
as children again, silently spinning
a screaming delight on this teeter totter
Bee’s knees, creak to the breeze on a high
wooden swing in all that simmering
With fervently gold-winged dragonflies
They could sleep
And never recall any flicker of sky
Or why or never or forever or however
There in all hues of cadmium sunsets
Ashes and trill. Sad sky she asked
Why is it here to have as has always
To be as now and then with never a forever
But with the wind and moon too busy as they tie the tide
With gossamer twine it is left for the breeze to reply
In this atmosphere of vapor
above time. I carry no cumbers
of inclemency as memories
are effaced as stones from the sea
the wind and gravity
written by melody montgomery
Notes From Wonderland (Author’s Proof – American Poets - Melody Montgomery)
Whispered talk of she who hid under the wind
when Time stood still beneath lightning nights
nowhere in that windy city did she let them be
as children again, silently spinning
a screaming delight on this teeter totter
Bee’s knees, creak to the breeze on a high
wooden swing in all that simmering
With fervently gold-winged dragonflies
They could sleep
And never recall any flicker of sky
Or why or never or forever or however
There in all hues of cadmium sunsets
Ashes and trill. Sad sky she asked
Why is it here to have as has always
To be as now and then with never a forever
But with the wind and moon too busy as they tie the tide
With gossamer twine it is left for the breeze to reply
In this atmosphere of vapor
above time. I carry no cumbers
of inclemency as memories
are effaced as stones from the sea
the wind and gravity
written by melody montgomery
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