Natterjack
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By onemorething
- 509 reads
'Sweet are the uses of adversity which, like the toad, ugly and venomous, wears yet a precious jewel inside his head.' ~ Shakespeare, As You Like It.
I hold my beauty close inside me,
a tenderness of soft and gauzy,
nursed on the thought
that I was difficult to love.
A brambletoad, turbid with siltblood,
now I dreambeetle by moon's waters
when night pools its mirror to call from.
Once, the injuries of unlove made me
slackhearted and torment would sour
to disappointment.
Child of hemlock, the toadflower,
glandular in liver and spleen,
let me forget the ever dulling shine of hope,
let me rely instead upon expectation.
The fosser entombs,
packs his catacombs,
a hundred winters
for the gem inside my head,
a bone, an amulet torn from
the limestone temples of the dead.
Make me not an effigy of wax
to clasp between a mother's knees --
this natterjack is no maternal ease,
I promise
nothing.
Inspired by the folklore of toads, and in particular, the natterjack - that they were ugly and feared and also might heal or contain some alchemical magic (stone inside their heads or toad bones), fed hemlock and milked by witches too perhaps, some were buried alive to see if they could survive without food, light, water for years at a time. Also a wax effigy of a natterjack might be placed with a mother giving birth to take away pain.
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Comments
That last stanza really
That last stanza really brings home the meaning of your poem. Such s sad sequence of events leading to the downfall of the poor Natter Jack.
I had never heard of this folk lore tale before, so it was good to learn something new.
Thank you.
Jenny.
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Absolutely beautiful, as ever
Absolutely beautiful, as ever, and - also as ever - so much to learn! I knew toads in general were connected with witches and magic, but I hadn't realised the natterjack had such a particular place.
'I dreambeetle by moon's waters' - that's completely stunning, and the reference to relying on expectation rather than hope strikes a real chord.
Thanks you for this. It's made my day.
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the gems are indeed inside
the gems are indeed inside your head.
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"A brambletoad, turbid with
"A brambletoad, turbid with siltblood,
now I dreambeetle by moon's waters.."
Wonderful use of language, of course. And soaked in lore and magic.
"I promise
nothing"
...but your poem delivers everything :)
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"Inspired by the folklore of
"Inspired by the folklore of toads" this beautiful poem by the Wonderful Onemorething is Pick of the Day! Please do share if you can
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What an absolutely wonderful
What an absolutely wonderful poem onemore. Very well deserved golden cherries. The cruelty we inflict on animals is very hard to think about. I hope your wobbles lessen soon xx
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Beautiful in their own way
I scrutinise toads when I see them but I try not to disturb them. They are beautiful in their own way. Demonised in folklore but they have a purpose in nature. And was there ever a story told about a toad that wasn't entertaining?
It's a great poem you've written. Your words capture the litte character's physical appearance, its home, its history and its place in legends.
Turlough
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This is magical and makes me
This is magical and makes me want to do more research on these creatures. I've noticed how still toads are when disturbed, their metabolism perhaps but it can feel like they have a confidence in their own unique powers. It's a wonderful read.
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