This is a poem written from an ancient-Celt’s perspective. The Celts divided the year between Light and Dark, and Samhain was the dividing point. This Holiday fell at the end of Summer Harvest. As the days grew shorter and colder, and the night’s grew longer there was no hope of growing more food until Spring. The cold, dark, winter was a time of death and fear. This poem reflects the ancient hopes and fears of those people. It’s all in fun, in honor of Halloween tomorrow.
Tonight, is a night in-between-
Summer and Winter-
Light and Dark-
Warmth and Cold-
Life and Death.
Tonight, is the night that the year’s light fades and darkness reigns.
Our harvest is in-
Our stores until the light returns is set.
Whether we eat or starve is out of our hands.
We lite a bonfire in the village center.
We give thanks for our harvest and pray for our survival.
When we return to our homes we will take a burning bough-
We will relight our hearths with the sacred fire
To chase away the dark.
Tonight- we will feast, tell stories, sing, and dance as darkness falls.
Tonight, is the night when the worlds of light and dark, life and death
are one.
Spirits come into this world to both comfort and torment us-
Reminding us of our own mortality.
We fear the winter for its cruel bareness.
We fear the darkness where things lurk unseen.
We fear the cold in which gnaws the bones.
We fear death which comes to us all-
But tonight- on Samhain- we celebrate what we dread.
We chase away our fears with fire, music, feasting and dance.
Though darkness and spirits come-
Though the cold and winter draw near-
On this night- Samhain- we welcome it.
Bringing Mae Flowers 