Washed up on a shore
Near St Maries de la Mer
I crawled into a cave. There
I saw a statue of black skin
Covered in shadows and
Rich embroidered robes

I heard a whisper:-
“Follow the path of your heart”.
I walked further into that cave
To better know the statue’s face;
I recoiled - seeing Mother with
Suckling babe, then a beautiful
Young Maiden – lastly an old
Crone by a candle flame.

I backed away
But she laughed loud and
Her withered hand pointed
“Take this path through the sand”

I noticed a crack opened in
The wall behind, letting in light;
I walked towards the warmth
I felt the great power of light
As the sun dried my clothes

But my eyes became blind as
Far on every side stretched dunes.

No breeze – no plants…
Was that an old withered tree?…
Slowly it moved towards me
From miles distant

“My Name is John the Messenger;
You may say Baptist” There
I stood amazed, seeing that wild
Symbol from my childhood days.

He tugged my hand away
And led me across the sand –
I did not retreat

We entered a rocky ravine
We walked in a land like Palestine
Where only cactus grew, I began to swoon
For lack of water. I knew not how many
Days we walked – in my delirium
I spoke of the River Jordan - and
At that moment the Baptiser was gone
And all I knew were mirages and a clump
Of palm trees.

I took hours to crawl to them
In my weak state I collapsed
By the side of a blue lagoon
My mouth cracked and bruised.

When I awoke my face
Was stroked by a woman wrapped
Head to toe in Muslin

Part 2

“My beloved, I have waited long”
And she moved her hips and hands
To a verse from The Song of Songs.

Over many days I grew stronger
Tended by that beautiful veiled woman
Whose eyes I stared into.

One morning I rose from my tent
Having dreamt she was called Mary and
For the first time I walked unaided and tall

I desired
Her and looked for her
But she was gone, only camel tracks
Showed the direction she had taken.

There was another saddled camel
Tied to a tree, full of provisions -
For three days I followed her tracks
Until a great storm came
and erased the prints

Late at night
By accident feeling broken
I arrived at a Tower on the edge of
The desert

I beat on the door
And looked up – what seemed like a lantern
Descended down a spiral staircase.

Part 3

“What do you want at this late hour?”
Through a grill in the door an old man
Peered down with bushy eyebrows.

Cautiously he opened the door
As I sat crouching – He wore a long
blue robe adorned with sun and moon.
On his ankles silver wings glinting

“Water, that is all”

“Hmmm” He handed me a wooden staff -
I felt supported by strong unseen hands.
“Come in”. I followed him slowly up
A tight spiral stair and came to a long
Triangular room. “Sit by this fire and drink”

The fire was mesmerising – it made me
Imagine I was touched by a sea-breeze and
The green liquid he gave slaked my thirst.
“I know your true name, young Page –
It is not what you think”.
“Who are you?”, I asked. “Oh I have many.
In this place, I’m the magician”

I told him of
my desire to find the woman from the Oasis
“Hmmm” he lit his pipe.
A devilish business chasing a mirage”
“But she’s real, she saved my life”

For a great while there was no answer -
I watched the smoke from his
Pipe rise and tie into intricate knots.

“You will need my help to find
This woman…and great courage -
If you sleep soundly tonight
I will give you my help tomorrow”
He walked out the room and
Locked then bolted the door.

Part 4

As if expected
There was a bed of crisp white linen
Behind me. As a clock struck 12
I climbed in, but every time I tried
To close my eyes the room
Seemed to change shape -
Square then oblong then triangular.

I got up and sat by the fire –
Throwing a black log onto
the embers I thought of Mary
Until the flames grew higher
Then the room went dark

*

…I felt a hand on my shoulder
And stared into a long white beard.
“I see you have slept well Page –
It is past midday, time to be up”
The room around me was a perfect
Circle bathed in sunlight.

All that day Hermes showed me
His amazing tower room.
It was full of books and physic.
He taught me a spell to bring
Rain and one to shield from Sun.
He gave me a charm to inspire me,
An equal armed cross on a chain –
Its centre had a perfect red rose
Cast in silver
“Show this to the wolf and it will lead
you to the Green Man…

And one last thing – I have sewn a
Secret map inside this bag – open it
only after you have found your Lady,
It will guide you safely home. ”

I thanked him profusely…
“How can I repay you?”
“One day you will acquire a tower like this
…use your magic to help others
You will honour me well”.

Part 6

I left the Magician in the morning.
He seemed to be standing on the
Roof waving. He had given me directions
Away from the desert towards tilled land
And as I travelled desert turned to scrub
Then turned to fields, though I couldn’t
See the owners

Eventually I stopped to rest
by a tiny stream. Next to me
Was a single tree and on it sat
A blue or green or purple
Shimmering bird.
It began to sing, better even
Than a soloist in a Cathedral -
Some parts imitated human speech
'Follow me' 'Follow me'

Indeed it was such a melody
That I had no choice -
Its staccato flight led me
Into a dark wood.
Soon there was no more music
And the thick leaves and branches
seemed organised to block my path -

I lost my way

Until following a black stream
Half covered in dead leaves
I came into a clearing
And there was a monk
Tending a small row
Of glossy leaved beans - his feet
Were bare and caked in mud

"I am Francis tender of forest
Beans" - and on his shoulder
Alighted the same bird yet
It was now pure white.
He smiled, "This bird
Is called a rainbow dove
It mates for life"
And he stroked its bill

"Let us eat" he pointed
To a small wooden cabin
Covered in scores of crucifixes.