The owls are out!
As ashflakes drifting,
Soft with purpose, on the stillness;
Crying, lonely, in the forest,
Winging gently by the mill--
hadows floating round the hill.
With golden eyes, they look to her,
Their grey-clad queen, Tulinnitu;
In hooded form she holds their fealty
Openhanded, lodestone-true.
"Go!" she whispers in the twilight,
Casting sunset's last farewell;
"Go, my children, seek in silence,
Quickening of night foretell;
Fleeting, floating, on the wing,
Take the pleasures dark may bring!"
Tulinnitu, at one with gloaming,
Cloaked in muted homespun there;
Lovely face in shielded shadows
Dappled feathers in her hair;
Silent, pliant, in the wood,
With watchful eyes beneath her hood.
Once, she walked the world of men,
And sunny days were her delight,
Then a dream of owls came stealing;
Now Tulinni lives by night.
Magic, tragic, moonlight child
With the owls; all shy and wild.
Through the woods Tulinni's kindred
Float on ever-silent wings,
Crying mournful autumn summons,
Gently wooing twilit springs.
Fleeting meetings; horsemen stare-
Is Tulinni unaware?
Queen of howlets,
Quiet's thrall,
Her purpose mystifying all;
The owls are many since she came
They hunt in quaint Tulinni's name...
Those who see her sense a tale,
And court her notice in the still-
That follows sunset's dying stain...
But shadows float around the hill.
Tulinnitu withdraws from contact
Human once, enigma, now...
Listen yet, and you may hear her
Calling in the twilight hour.
'Go, my children, seek in silence
Quickening of night foretell;
Free to go, by love returning,
Fare thee far and fare thee well!
Fleeting, floating, on the wing,
Take the pleasures dark may bring!"
As ashflakes drifting,
Soft with purpose, on the stillness;
Crying, lonely, in the forest,
Winging gently by the mill--
hadows floating round the hill.
With golden eyes, they look to her,
Their grey-clad queen, Tulinnitu;
In hooded form she holds their fealty
Openhanded, lodestone-true.
"Go!" she whispers in the twilight,
Casting sunset's last farewell;
"Go, my children, seek in silence,
Quickening of night foretell;
Fleeting, floating, on the wing,
Take the pleasures dark may bring!"
Tulinnitu, at one with gloaming,
Cloaked in muted homespun there;
Lovely face in shielded shadows
Dappled feathers in her hair;
Silent, pliant, in the wood,
With watchful eyes beneath her hood.
Once, she walked the world of men,
And sunny days were her delight,
Then a dream of owls came stealing;
Now Tulinni lives by night.
Magic, tragic, moonlight child
With the owls; all shy and wild.
Through the woods Tulinni's kindred
Float on ever-silent wings,
Crying mournful autumn summons,
Gently wooing twilit springs.
Fleeting meetings; horsemen stare-
Is Tulinni unaware?
Queen of howlets,
Quiet's thrall,
Her purpose mystifying all;
The owls are many since she came
They hunt in quaint Tulinni's name...
Those who see her sense a tale,
And court her notice in the still-
That follows sunset's dying stain...
But shadows float around the hill.
Tulinnitu withdraws from contact
Human once, enigma, now...
Listen yet, and you may hear her
Calling in the twilight hour.
'Go, my children, seek in silence
Quickening of night foretell;
Free to go, by love returning,
Fare thee far and fare thee well!
Fleeting, floating, on the wing,
Take the pleasures dark may bring!"