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Poetry
Eclipse
By goingtothedogs
31 May 2007
I visited Pendle Hill in Lancashire on the night of a full lunar eclipse some years ago. Very spooky.......

Eclipse over Pendle

 

The Dark lays still o’er Pendle Hill,

Full moon shining, frost lays starkly

Vapour rises, Magics’ guises,

The soul of the mountain whispers darkly.

 

Shimmer moon shine down,

Night’s the beauty, yours the glory,

Glimmer moon shine down,

Retell once more the ancient story.

 

The silence speaks of demon sleep

And long dead warlock, mage or druid

Waking tonight. Sorcerous unlight,

And ancient glamours now unguarded

 

Shimmer moon. Shine down

The circle marred, Shadow encroaching

Glimmer moon. Shine down,

Ware the spell, darkness approaching

 

Luna’s disc gleams through the mist,

Her maiden’s face the sky caresses

Her age old eyes have seen the signs

Of Albion, Wicca and Lyonesse

 

Blaze stars and shine

Umbric darkness in the gaining

Brazen stars and I

Watch lunatic shadow in the making

 

The Dark lays still on Pendle Hill

It’s perfection bids my silence

The darkness reigns, as foreordained

Wordless sentience gathers presence

 

Cold, Dark. And I,

Benumbed await occult conclusion

Old stars and I, tranced

Await moonstruck possession

 

Returned to day, the Spirit lays,

The presence drops once more to slumber,

The hills and plains, Pendle’s demesne,

In sunshine. Night now ill-remembered

 

Shine sun, shine down,

O’er hill and valley, field and deeping

Shine sun shine down,

On Colossus, only sleeping

Reviews
Wow...
Written by tat_2man (56 comments posted) 31st May 2007
I really liked this poem. I especially liked the line "The Dark lays still on Pendle Hill". When reading about the long dead warlock I actually got a chill. :grin
Eclipse
Written by CliffBowes (176 comments posted) 31st May 2007
An excellent description of a moving experience whilst watching a total lunar eclipse. I have only seen the word umbric used in connection with soil characteristics (eg.raw umber & burnt umber) but as it obviously comes from the same root, ombre (eg umberella) or shade it must be right in this context. 
Liked it enormously 
Cliff
Pendle Hill
Written by Josie (2500 comments posted) 31st May 2007
I regularly pass by Pendle Hill on the way to Clitheroe, and it has a distinctive long flat shape, which seems mysterious. I can well imagine how it would appear to you during a lunar eclipse. "Shine, shine down. o'er hill, valley, field and deepening" - yes, I've seen it like this too and the shadows on the hillside seem weird as the sun sets. It certainly is a place of mystery. It is a shame that the area has such a dreadful history of innocent women being burned alive for "witch-craft". I think they must surely come back to haunt this hill at night.

Written by goingtothedogs (58 comments posted) 31st May 2007
Thanks everyone. 
 
CliffeBowes: The word umbric refers to shadow and is an astronomical term normally. e.g The umbral shadow i.e. full shadow of an eclipse as opposed to "penumbral" or partial shadow
Eclipse
Written by CliffBowes (176 comments posted) 1st June 2007
Many thanks for explaining the Umbral business, as you may have guessed I know sweet nothing about matters astronomical. Still liked the poem though. 
Cliff

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