A trail of blue between rows of dark columns
greeted me at sunrise
and anything that I could hope to write in its praise
flew out from my mind,
a wild sequestered spot
where colonnades of lava in the middle layer cooled
and were said to be responsible for the formation
of The Cave Of Melody
which according to legend is located in the Inner Hebrides
of Scotland.
I felt my blood pressure rise as the story unraveled,
“here slept Fionn
disguised as an infant by his lady love
to dupe his rival Benandonner
so that
he in turn fled and, in the process, ripped apart
the causeway,
formed of basalt and towering in close symmetry
one would feel the voices
calling beneath the water sweet belong to sirens,
as melancholy descends
like a blanket of impenetrable darkness
when Sadbh in truth bore Fionn a child,
only to transform into a deer and separate for many years,
perhaps that is the reason
we mourn loss of bliss in this lonely place.”
Listen closely,
as the voices sound and the cave is lit in an orange glow.
Photo credits: Fingal’s Cave, depositphotos
Posted for Poems in April @ Real Toads
You’ve outdone yourself on the amazing, Sanaa! This is a vivid painting of nature in all its glory. The ‘trail of blue between rows of dark columns’ takes us to a place we will never see – and it has such a beautiful name:
The Cave Of Melody. I love the lines that echo after reading:
‘Listen closely,
as the voices sound and the cave is lit in an orange glow’.
Awww gosh! ❤️ Thank you so much, Kim 😀 so glad you enjoyed it! ❤️
That trail of blue is starkly beautiful against all the smokey rock. I enjoyed the legend, and can see the deer slipping elusively away. So descriptive.
Thank you so much, Sherry 😀 so glad you liked it ❤️
(and thank you for the lovely prompt) 🌹
The picture makes me think of an organ in a cathedral and that blue river is purity itself. Lovely verse Sanaa
Thank you so much, Debi 😀 so glad you enjoyed it ❤️
I have not heard of this myth before but you have told the tale in a most intriguing way. Loved it.
Thank you so much, Kerry 😀 so glad you liked it ❤️
Interesting legend you shared with us! A beautiful name – Cave of Melody.
Thank you so much, Toni 😀 so good to see you ❤️
It was like touring the place through the speaker’s eyes. When I got to the end, I waited for the orange glow to fill my sight, for the voices to echo… This is wonderful, Sanaa.
Thank you so much, Magaly 😀 so glad you enjoyed it ❤️
It is a painting, a verbal tour. It is a poem you can see, and stand in its bright light…Jealous. 🙂
Thank you so much, Susie 😀 so glad you liked it ❤️
Wow Sanaa, this is beautiful, mysterious, and haunting – I loved reading this!
Thank you so much, Rob 😀 so glad you enjoyed it ❤️
Fabulous indeed. A great wonder.
Thank you so much, Rosemary 😀 so glad you liked it ❤️