The Hallowed Ground

A ghostly ballad for Samhain (day before Celtic New Year) aka Halloween.

Upon the hallowed ground she stood

The wind blew through her hair

A swallow swooped o’er the darkening sky

And the scent of rain filled the air

 

She heard their voices loud as thunder

Echo over hill and down

And warily she watched them

Ride their ghost mounts into the town

 

The rain now fell in torrents

Upon the hallowed field

But she moved not from her own same spot

As an icy hand bid her yield

 

A hand of ice held fast her hem

Though she struggled against its grasp

She begged it there to let her go

Then from the earth she heard it rasp

 

‘One kiss my bonny sweetheart

the years were long since I saw thee last

It be cold here in the hallowed ground

And I lie and freeze a memory of the past.’

 

‘I fought here on the hallowed ground

with rapier high and voice aloft

till down the enemy struck me fast

and I lay in my blood on the damp ground soft.’

 

The hand then loosed its steely grasp

And she saw her true love’s form

A cold and bleeding upon the ground

 she covered him with russet cloak to keep him from the storm

 

As the rain then pelted down around

The long lost lovers in their embrace

His bonny sweetheart spoke to him

With trembling lip and heart that raced

 

‘My own true love, my only

Long waited I for your return

I scorned the suitors who sought my hand

They said your love is gone and dead, but your memory I would not scorn

 

‘I waited long for word or news

of thy well being or how thee faired,

but none e’re came to me at all

so I waited, hoping you had been spared.’

 

‘Ah a truer love man never had

that would wait through tears and time

and keep the hope that I still lived

to find that in the ground I lie.

 

Forgive me, love, I’ve done thee wrong

To make thee wait for me so

Take my hand with one last kiss

And then my love, you must go.’

 

‘Nay my only, only love,

it’s here with you I’ll stay

I’ll not go back to my old life

I’ll lie here by thy side, come what may.’

 

So upon the hallowed ground she lay

Her hair damp and soaked to the skin

And right by his side she lay all night

As she clutched his hand so thin.

 

The town knew not where she had gone

But in the morn they found

She’s gone to be with her one true love

Dead, upon the hallowed ground.

 

Reviews

[Susanna F]

Absolutely beautiful! You have a real gift.

[J Todd Underhill]

A wonderful write, and pretty much a DEAD tie for first place pardon my pun.

[Droll Prole]

Haunting and lovely, a beautiful poem.

[Tate Morgan]

This is written very well and i especially like the rhyme and the rhythm of the piece.The story so coherent it is beautiful. One of the best Ive seen here