Mother of Winds

I look to the sky for the mother of winds–
asking her why, my mother of winds.

Her chariot crosses ahead of the sun–
with you I would fly, O mother of winds.

Like you I would step from the sea born anew–
black waves choke me dry, my mother of winds.

Pledged to a journey of transforming light–
dark ravens comes crying, my mother of winds.

I married the magic expecting to merge–
false troth bound to dying, O mother of winds.

And where are the children to circle me round?
aborted by lying, cruel mother of winds.

I curse and she answers with silence and ice–
the knots are untying me, mother of winds.

Jane Dougherty’s challenge this week was inspired by the painting of Dawn, above, and asked us to use the ghazal form:  a series of two-line verses of the same length, with a somewhat complex rhyming scheme, both internal and line-ending.  To complicate things, not everyone agrees exactly on the rules.  Two very different explanations and examples of ghazal are here and here.

Dawn has many mythological sides and I incorporated some of them into my poem.  Not only is she the mother of winds, some say she birthed the planets too.