Monday, 17 November 2025

Five Poems by Maria Downs

 






FINE IMMORTAL ESSENCE                                            

 

Glimmers of the sunshine light, 

splays its first rays, at the new dawn, 

bathing the lands, in a sheer translucence, 

sparkling gleams, at all, that is born. 

 

Those young pansies, of violet hue, 

frolic in the breeze,  

where winter, berries still bead, their lustre 

in the brilliant, hedgerows and briars, of scarlet hue. 

 

The black cap still warbles, its song – like, beats, 

while the whitethroat bird accompanies, 

other tiny mitesof feathery dress  

welcomedby the spring blackbird, the thrush 

that render their tunesas velvet resonance, 

in those nesting trees. 

 

Comely eiderdowns spreadadorned   

with lilac bluebells, that ruffle their crowns, 

spiraling mazes of purple down,  

surrounding a castle’s walls - 

                                         

thisthat overlooks, the distant town, 

aifupon its heritage, such history, 

such time can be measured, 

 

though the golden eagle soarsupon the hills, still 

the swifts have returned from the wintry, chills 

the salmon race in the streamsto spawn 

and the stag will cryits lament once more,  

up beyond the moor - 

 

awarethat time cannot contain,  

what stayswithin the soul of life, 

while fall those spring rains. 

 

Though a stone will revealbut a dead name, 

yet the light only betrays,  

what exists so far away, 

as if with this lighteternitybeckons and calls, 

as if those seasons with the cosmos,  

danceto those music strings, 

that with all this expanding,  

responds to each soundeach living core. 

                                       

So be this sweetexisting fair, 

this complex beauty  

unravelling itselfout there, 

a place to dwellyetresting here, within  

forevermore.



DEFINING A DREAM 

 

Easy grace of ardour, of fire, 

where the heart and soul alone, desires 

for nought, but the fine talk, of soft resonance, 

each lyrical, sound that vibrates, in the universe, 

overspilling, into ethereal voices, 

that spell out, the free – flowing, verse, each beauty word. 

 

The mind liberated, amidst this idyll, 

where the ritual of expression, requires, little 

of noise or humdrum chit – chat, 

the bane of others’ gossipenjoyed 

bfolk, who saythey love. 

 

Ratherthe will drifts, like the light – foot, pace 

of a littlechild immersed, in his play, 

lapping upthe morning sun, 

to frolic wildin those verdurous fields, 

see those firsttimid hares, emerge and run. 

 

Dreamingthose pink, cherry blossoms,  

floatingin the breeze 

while the winterrobin no more, pleas 

for breadnow, the spring has come. 

 

The mind’s eyedazedby the light, 

espies the little wren sing, rhythmicalongside 

the blackbird and thrush, 

as if to exude and conductwith each tone, 

all that will unfoldwith this new dawn, 

 

while within those shady grovesby the marshy fronds, 

drift those waders that feedupon these wetlands, 

these silt – filledstreams dappling, along 

and a pageant of purple bluebells, leave their lilactrails 

inviting, young ones, having fun. 

 

Turbulence of heavy cloudis no more, seen 

amidst this ruralscenic green, 

where the sunbathes, golden,  

the landsthe prairie meads – 

 

drawing outthis firethis zeal  

to grow and produce, 

thriveamidst this wilderness of peace, 

where the mind remains lost, by allherefaced - 

the soul’s rituala beautiful place.



DISSOLUTION OF THE ABSOLUTE 

 

When all will dissipate, crumbling, 

like a pillar of sand, 

through what you hear and understand, 

as much that floats, in beauty’s guise, 

yet, like the seasons, that whirl  

and change their colours and hues, 

so, all will pass, into the ethers of light, 

dieto those long, days and hushed, nights. 

 

Voice so fairto listen acute, 

to this far away cryleaving your frame, as mute, 

as the deadening numb, so loathed, to speak 

exceptingfrom this place that informs, 

this inner realmwhere such words, spell out 

each wonderyou seek. 

 

To restyet still, as a song,  

will the mind orchestrate, 

this harmony of the spheres  

extracting, amidst the silence, 

this overflowing exuberance,  

that creates your dreams. 

 

So stands alone, one who learns, of all  

amidst Natures realms, 

each sound that resonatesas music’s beat, 

as each songbird heard, 

where the pulse throbs fullupon the ear, 

still in awewith each curfew of the night, 

each lyric phraseevery scenic picture,  

etchedupon the mind. 

 

Finding knownat last, 

of these art formsprofound 

imitatingwhat is perceived, filling up the senses, 

with all, so wild, that pounds – 

 

awarethat this, so gathered and heaped,  

fineas gold, 

reaping but peaceuntil age weighs, old 

yetas the breath, as the beginning, until the end, 

as the very senses that waver,  

like the whispering gust, the call upon the winds, 

sothis voice will haunt,  

to beckon youto your final home - 

where love hosts dear, 

each little bird that sings.



REALMS OF THE MIND                                                

 

Love swells, where those angels, dwell 

hearing such music, such song 

amidst paradise realms, 

or within the mind, where the imagination fills up, 

with each image, each rhyme 

 

escaping, from this mundane world,   

amidst these fantasies, 

where the heart holds out, to nothing more, 

than what is dreamt alone, to adore – 

 

though at times, a nightmare unfolds, its ghostly drama 

where phantom spectreshover and wail - 

black silhouettes that figure, but only, the self 

haunted, by each fiery, spell 

shrieking, with haggard face, 

voicing, but doom, in every place. 

 

Yet alone, remains one, merely just, to love 

this atmospheric domain  

that compels the mind once more, 

                                                   

to transcribe all this excrescence,   

that though restsstill 

driftsas a sweet reverie, within the brain. 

 

So remains this giftto adhere 

to these beauty wordsthat upon each sense, appear 

recalling toomuchthat harnesses, each wild dream, 

amidst every scenic idyll,  

of what lies so fair, in Nature’s peaceful green, 

 

of what goads the passionsstill 

by those oceans vastthat beat each rhythm, 

each melody, upon those waves, 

 

of what fascinates the mindto hear, so faint 

this distant callbeyond a world, 

softenrackedwith pain – 

 

beckoning the soulthat wonders, in awe, 

like a mystic hum fading into the obscure, 

listeninguntil all, will die 

into this distantwaning dim - 

                                           

threading your dreams  

that drift upon the winds.



THE TORPOR BLAST OF GUSTS 

 

The ice – frost, hewn: - 

when all melts at the thaw of the freeze taboo, 

when it circles crisp around the clear round moon, 

upon the dark nights of winter’s toll, as of the tomb. 

 

So, like acid or icicles gnaws the rivers streams  

as the biting winds blow. 

Seeing beyond, in the black 

the sable vampire trees, shaping silhouettes 

  
 
to eerie rack the very nerve, so folk will shiver 

trembling, in a home where the lantern bright 

sets all, a quiver. 

  

Wanting to roam alone, when the once sparse, meadow 

brims over, with flowers 

when the summer season, from the skies  

is hit, by the golden star, of heavens. 

Free at last to wander light - foot,   

gazing at trees that burst from a shoot - 

yet all yielding, seized by the brigand - 

the rape by the ice freeze, to strip naked 

all that was given. 

 

Looking nowhere through the pane, 

the cruel howl of gales, blasting once again. 

 

No heat nor rose, nor sweet release 

within the lonely place, of the dim - 

 

assail, arouse a voice, a birdsong feast, 

but yet silence in the deep will breathe a noise  

as of the beast, 

while the hurtling ocean to this wrath 

will once again hissing, sing.


Maria Downs - Has been playing the piano for fifty years. She a has painted over 150 artworks, of garden scenes, moorlands and seascapes for fourteen years and has been writing poetry, concerning Nature’s realms, the universe and the soul,  for forty years, writing over 2200, verses.

Maria has lived in Lyon, France, studying French and in Florence, Italy, studying the history of art, musical drama, history of Greek theatre, aesthetics, Italian language  and classical music with emphasis on the composers, Robert Schumann and Debussy.

She reads excessively and now, mainly loves writing her verses, reading biographies about interesting gifted people, playing upbeat pop music, easy listening, and Motown, Rhythm and blues and Soul music on her piano. She loves to read, a genuine “good book”. 


    

  

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