Herbal Tale

I rise before the daylight streaks the sky,
And skip and jump outside upon the lawn.
The touch of fairy dew haunts me, as I
Dance with the Elder Mother at the dawn.
I share my gifts of milk and bread and cake;
Nothing is touched til I petition thrice,
And finish my entreaty near daybreak,
With breath a-fog and feet as cold as ice.
Add mint and yarrow, flower and boneset:
A simple tonic taken as a tea,
A medicine without a sobriquet,
An elderflower aid to breathe easy.
This herbal tale is, frankly, a canard;
For I can't dance outside in my backyard.

Mick McKellar
July 2018

I pictured myself dancing among the elder flowers in the dewy dawn...and tea came out of my nose.

Mick