Day 3, F1.3 Pwca, and F2.3, Will o the Wisp
Will-o’-Wisp
Black bog, clouded night
comes the flash of fairy-fire—
a ghost-glow, trickster’s beacon—
the pwca lures—and you follow
through shadow-swallowed shadows
where tree arms shake and root-feet trip,
you go, seeking the glimmer
not as ship rescued by a flare
but moth to flame, unaware,
attracted, caught
left in the dark
when the pwca leaves,
abandoned, alone—no reprieve
without ghost-light,
only spirits and sprites,
when the ghost-laugh comes,
you quiver and run
but there’s no escape—
not till after their fun.
Paul Brookes is hosting a month-long ekphrastic challenge using folklore images to celebrate the launch of his new poetry collection, “As Folktaleteller.” You can see the images here, and also read the other responses.
Yesterday and today: Merril's historical musings 
Reblogged this on The Wombwell Rainbow.
Thank you, Paul.
Reblogged this on NEW BLOG HERE >> https:/BOOKS.ESLARN-NET.DE.
Thank you, Michael!
Beautifully, eerily, done, Merril
Thank you very much, Derrick.
I’m not sure I like the look of that pwca. I’d never heard of it (related to the púca maybe?).
I love the second and third stanzas. So lyrical.
Thank you very much!
I’ve had to look up most of the folklore for every day. I’m not well-versed in it. Yes, there seems to be a variety of spellings for pwca, púca. I’d never heard of any, and didn’t really know about the will-o-wisp–though I knew the concept.
I’ve never seen it spelled pwca. In fact, Irish doesn’t have a w! In the stories of the púca I know, it’s usually a donkey. Folklore is funny 🙂
It looks like pwca is the Welsh spelling.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C3%BAca
The spelling didn’t make any difference to me because I didn’t know of it at all. 🙂
And I didn’t know that the Welsh had a púca either! It’s where mythology is different to folklore. Myths go back well before Christianity but folklore is usually what myths have dwindled to, a parody almost of the old stories, tainted by new religion and morality.
Well, the Welsh is according to Wikipedia, and apparently there are versions in other countries, too.
And I think the w is pronounced u in Welsh so that would figure.
Yes, makes sense. I knew it was a different sound, but I wasn’t sure.
Now I think about it, I’m talking rubbish. The Welsh for Wales is Cymru and it’s pronounced Cumri, so it’s the y that’s pronounced as u. How they pronounce pwca is anybody’s guess! Could be Polish…
So exceptional in it’s beautiful imagery and perfect alliteration. I’m not that knowledgeable on the different poetry style’s but you my friend are brilliant!
Thank you dear Rene for your very kind words! 💙
Just the truth! 💙
😘
I’m starting to sense your Folktober poems as parts of a whole. I think there will be a narrative arc once you’ve finished the series.
Oh, that is so interesting, Liz! I’ve looked at images up to Day 5 so far, and so I’m not writing as a whole. It will be interesting to see if it does happen that way.
I just have the sense it will happen organically. Total gut feeling–and I could be wrong!
I hope you’re right! 🙂
Shadow-swallowed shadows…what a wonderful image! (K)
Thank you! I was pleased with that one, too. 🙂
Interesting to learn about the ‘pwca’ – a spooky treat!
Thank you! I’ve had to look up most of the folklore subjects.
Perfectly spooky. I admit I had to look up pwca!
Thank you! I had to look up pwca, too–but I’ve had to look up the images almost every day.
Haha! Well then, this challenge has been beneficial to you 🙂
Well–I guess learning always is. 🙂
That is for sure. Keeps us alive.