The Wild Swans By Hans Christian Andersen Poem by Mary Angela Douglas

in the fleece of that story I could have wrapped my life

even for centuries the story of the Wild Swans. of Elise

the princess and her strange destiny, outcast with her brothers

and her brothers turned into swans.

no longer they wrote upon slates of crystal

in flourishing handwriting

with ink of gold

but bought and sold by a sorceress lost the earth

condemned to fly forever till the bells of Christendom

rang out.

until Elise in a dream sought how to save them

and it was revealed to her: you shall be dumb and appear

dimwitted though you shine inside with a thousand suns

and silent you shall weave with nettles shirts for your brothers

pale as linen, gleaming shedding the blood of your lily hands

invisibbly upon the woven goods

and if you speak a word, they never shall be free.

then on the brink of sundown came her brothers and in a net

of pure sapphire rose above the clouds high over the sea illimitable

and carried her and carried her in such a folkloric dream

and then they drew nigh and turned back into men

for a little space and sister and brothers sang hymns upon

the last rock in the sea necessary for them while the waves

crashed around them.

then she awoke

but waking was grieving

grieving and weaving

till they were free

I will do this I said night and day

I will weave poems from nettles

and say little else

and I am not myself

one day they will be freed

we will sing above the noise of the sea

free from the sorrowful kingdoms.

mary angela douglas 26 june 2023