Author: michael raven

  • waiting to begin

    awake to ear ringing
    & litmus tests papering
    our present lavender

    faint, the voice calling
    so i resthead on the ley
    hoping for to clarion that
    lost in babble on & on

    a need to root in & stone
    branching out & to oak
    careless as a whisper
    on the wind

    i wait for them in
    forgotten corridors
    waiting to begin

  • casting runes — 08jan26

    wunjo
    tug of the healer calling
    drawing up a hood
    walking the woods
    as i did once & again

    A rune poem, based on an Elder Futhark rune selected at random.

    Today’s rune is wunjo, which is translated as “joy” and has been interpreted in both the earthly sense as well as in spiritual ecstasy. It has been associated with healing (emotional, mental and interpersonal) and some sources connect the rune to luck, the act of making a wish, or applied will. Wunjo can also be the inspiration for creativity.

    Please visit my Elder Futhark pages at sceadugenga.com for additional interpretations of the runes based on multiple references and personal reflection.

  • hex

    Photo by Nastia Petruk on Unsplash
    to you who would soak us
    in our own blood:
    your swagger sickens me

    i reject your new amerika,
    you piggies at the trough
    with your shit-filled lies.
    when your butcher's bill comes
    i pray to all the gods that
    it is you who pays the price

  • casting runes — 07jan26

    fehu
    daggers gnaw the wolf's belly
    as he surveys snowy plains for
    young reindeer to offer "protection"

    A poem prompted by a randomly selected Elder Futhark rune.

    Today’s rune is fehu, which has a core meaning of “cattle” or a more generalized “livestock”, which was a representation of personal wealth or earned prosperity. Sometimes luck played a role. Wealth and prosperity was valued, but was looked down upon when material accumulation appeared to be excessive, greedy, miserly or turned to hoarding, especially when those around you were lacking.

    Please visit my Elder Futhark pages at sceadugenga.com for additional interpretations of the runes based on multiple references and personal reflection.

  • Half-penny thoughts — 07jan26

    Sometimes, when I look in the mirror or in the work chat camera, I’m a little surprised by who I see there. The person looking back at me appears to be a reflection of myself, except that all that grey and all that beard (not to mention the bushier eyebrows) seems much more gnome that it ought to be for the person I recall being.

    If I’m being generous, I replace the “gnome” with “druid”. However, self-generosity doesn’t come easy, so gnome is of more frequent use. Perhaps there is a better description? I’ll have to think about it (I’ve not quite evolved into a “troll”, but I suspect it will come sooner than later).

    Are you ever surprised by who you see in pictures of yourself? If so, do you think it is generally for the better or for the worse? If you were to use a common word or phrase of less than five words, what do you think best describes your general appearance or that someone might mistake you for being?