As soon as I settled on these two elements of the natural world to represent myself – the following flowed:

Raven Ash
tree and bird
show me light
show me black
things you’ve seen
things you’ve heard
take me forward
take me back

carry me through wind and rain
hold me in the dark wet earth
shelter me in cave and cliff
hold my death and hold my birth

speak to me
your secret tongue
listen until we are one
seed and feather
egg and leaf
what lies above
what lies beneath

between the two
I find the centre
stillness movement
slowness speed
breadth and focus
surface deep
a place to stand
a place to speak

Raven Ash
tree and bird
show me light
show me black
things you’ve seen
things you’ve heard
take me forward
take me back                                                                                

lift me on your wings and branches
shift me through time and space
feed me the quiet seedling’s growth
show me thunder’s face

I will watch and listen
as you bring me in to life
I will close my eyes and see
I will close my mouth and speak
I will balance between the earth and sky
between awake and sleep
I will walk the edge of winter’s knife
dream and dance in summer’s flame

Raven Ash
tree and bird
you name me
and I begin

becoming
who I am