Kenning the Goddess

At the edge of sleep you softly cry;
your body shifts into a new position.
You — once singing muse, shape-shifter,
Celtic heiress of an old religion,

pagan druidess, dream-drifter,
surf-walker, sea-talker, sand-sifter,
jewelled chalice, bright cup, gold beaker,
soothsayer, rune-writer, riddle-speaker,

Ouroboros swallowing her own tail,
Guinevere, Igraine, Holy Grail,
Isis, Astarte, Ishtar, Artemis,
Danu, Kali, Lilith, Hera, Iris,

Selene, Circe, Ceres, Guari, Gaia,
Frigg, Freya, Shapsu, Thalia, Sophia,
Venus, Diana, Dione, Terpsichore,
succubus, enchantress, strumpet, whore,

Brigid, Bellona, Maia, Morgan le Fay,
virgin, virago, temptress, easy lay,
flint, fire, flaming torch, love–potion,
cornflower, blue flower, sapphire ocean,

sea wrack, bladderwrack, sea wreck,
albatross’s wing, swan’s down, swan’s neck,
song-maker, music-mistress, harp-plucker,
colt’s foot, cat’s eye, goatsucker,

hedonist, prophetess, huntress,
sun-seeker, rain-drummer, seductress,
truffle-taster, mushroom-eater, nectar-drinker,
reclusive anchorite, allusive thinker,

fox-furred, snowy-owl-feathered,
wind-beaten, snow-sculpted, wild-weathered,
bat’s echo, mouse tail, mare’s tail, peacock plume,
rainbow’s ending, river’s rising, salt spume,

damselfly’s delicacy, dragonfly’s shimmer,
butterfly’s flutter, glowworm’s glimmer,
violet, vermilion, viridescent green,
sweet briar, briar rose, eglantine,

pomegranate, grape juice, grenadine,
raven-haired, crow-clever, snake charmer,
dawn deliverer, daydreamer, night embalmer,
priestess of good dharma, bad karma,

pin-pricked, pine-needled, poison-darted,
Medusa-headed, Miranda-hearted,
many times married, many times parted,
man-manacled, girl-powered,

taut-bowed, taut-strung, poison-arrowed,
heaven-sent, hell-harrowed,
soft-skinnned, hot-spiced, musk-scented,
part real, part mirage, part invented,

heart-stopper, head-gamer, mind-bender,
soul-sister, life-lover, love-lender,
sweet honey, sweet grape, strong wine,
thief’s consort, knave’s tart, king’s concubine,

weed-widowed, viper-tongued, world-weary,
moon-struck, moon-eyed, moon-bleary,
sun worshipper of a million suns,
stargazer at a million constellations,

embracer of magic, entrail-diviner,
tracker of turquoise, tourmaline, gold miner,
destiny’s chameleon, luck-chancer,
dark diva, moon river, moon dancer —

gently moan into your pillow,
lost in dreams of your old being,
lost in some fold or crevice of your mind,
lost in some atavistic, ancient feeling.

Your body shifts, dream-writing its history
like Minerva or Calliope;
once you were mad Ophelia, now Penelope.