THE ABBEY

Secluded and peaceful,

Its past buried in the mists of time,

The ruins of this once majestic abbey

Stand aloof and alone upon the wild moors,

Nestled in between rolling green hills,

And trees hundreds of years old, bent and gnarled by time

That now tower over the abbey ruins,

As Mother Nature, slowly but surely,

Claims back her territory, burying the secrets

That time forgot.

 

On a cold winters day

All becomes so quiet,

Even the winter breeze dies away,

Leaving a stillness of quiet respect

Upon sacred ground.

With the bright winter sun streaming down,

Thousands of White Maidens open their delicate petals,

Revealing their tiny green hearts.

The rustling bushes are the only sign that I’m not here alone,

As the birds and the squirrels are busy preparing

For the coming of spring with the newness of life.

 

Sitting quiet and still,

Respectfully do I seek out its mysteries,

That are found in the silent energy

That flows through this ancient site.

The crumbling walls still whisper sacred wisdom

To those who are willing to wait and listen.

Distant chanting reaches my inner senses

Weaving its healing calm through my soul,

As cloaked figures walk by candlelight

Through the corridors of time.

 

They softly call for me to be still

And to drink in the beauty that lies all around me,

Until a little robin lands close by,

Breaking my peaceful reverie with his sweet song,

With his tiny head cocked to one side,

And a beady eye inspecting me,

As if questioning my presence on this, his territory…

I can’t help but smile with delight

As his boldness brings him ever closer…

No doubt to see if I have food to offer

Or perhaps to show off his smart red breast coat.

 

And then he takes flight

To sing his song that all may hear it…

‘This is my territory, and only my true love may enter’.

Alas! My time here is up, and I must depart,

With a reluctant heart do I slowly make my exit,

Leaving the ancient ruins to slumber once more

Whilst holding onto their secrets,

Until another gentle soul in need of respite

From the merry-go-round called life,

Comes knocking at the door to enter a world

That time forgot.

 

© A. Clarke

 

The White Maidens are also known as Snowdrops and when their outer petals open you will see 3 inner petals with tiny green upside down hearts on them