Three Unpublished Poems by Adele Ogier Jones

 

Epics

 

The epics that we think are ours

Are shared with others

Far away,

In times now lost in lands

We dream so different.

 

The ones who made the world

And gave us earth and space

With Lady Moon

And Sister Sky

Another story lost in time.

 

The hero who controlled

Those evil roaring winds to calm

The earth for clans to gather

Peacefully, the way the legend tells

For us to emulate.

 

For so we think, though we forget

Or never knew their epics,

The ones which told of bravery

Courage, decency

And kindness.

 

Who knew the land before the epics

Who knew them with those very first

Who sang the story held so dear,

Who knew the one before the times

Of land and sea

And sky, with stars and moon.

 

Paths lined with silk

 

In April did I roam

Along the paths

Where others went

Before me with their packs

Their camels laden high with goods

Which the others visualised.

 

Glimmering silks so multi-hued

With spices wafting

On the desert air

With shining stones and silver hid

Near donkeys bowed with stocks

Sustaining masters on the way.

 

Until to reach the end at last

The silk road years across

Those lands from east to west

And back again, to share their story

Tales and songs of wonder found

And loves

Forever mapped in minds.

 

Who saw them pass?

 

What eyes observed those caravans

With silk and spices, jade and tea

Their stories each unknown

To heroes left behind.

 

Whose eyes recalled the magic secrets

Winding on the paths

They knew from fables told

For futures yet to come.

 

Whose eyes recoiled

And warned of danger,

Beweaponed travellers craving wares

To capture for their markets.

 

Who retold the stories shared

And sang the songs of foreign folk

On routes they passed together,

Who shared ideas we have today

And gave us love songs

We claim are ours?

Adèle Ogiér Jones - Adèle writes creatively as Ogiér Jones. She has four collections of poems, including Beyond the Blackbird Field (Ginninderra Press, 2016) and a trilogy of chapbooks on the art of Swiss artist Anni Zindel, published with Picaro Poets (2021). She appears in numerous anthologies, e-poetry- and journals. These poems are from a suite on the Silk Road – in very slow progress.