The Night Journey

Yesterday, Theodora Goss discussed my poem "The Night Journey" over on her writing blog, and I feel honored indeed. Thank you, Dora.

Comments

[Chris]

Beautiful article, beautiful poem. Quite inspiring really both of them.

[Christina]

I just had an OMG moment. Reading this beautiful poem, I have that strange shiver of recognition that comes when you come across something you've never seen or heard before and yet, you KNOW it and you know that you've ALWAYS known it, or when you suddenly understand something properly that you only thought you knew before. Almost 20 years ago now, I wrote a very short little poem about a strange, wild (and probably dangerous!), muse-like character who popped into my head one night...and has stayed there. He has a name, but that's a secret of course! I've given him a pseudonym in the poem here, but it suits him well.....

The Green Jack waits at the end of the path
He wears my fox mask and holds out his hand.
From each step a memory grows...
I have sown a garden of things forgotten.

I just felt as if I'd met him all over again. "He waits for you, unknown and yet / familiar from forgotten dreams..." Amber eyes, spiral tattoos, wild black hair, a mask of leaves. In my poem he's wearing the fox mask I bought in Florence the year before, teasing me by playing 'trickster' with a mask I have looked through myself. It always felt like a much more important poem to me than its size and the amount of time it took to write it would suggest. Uncanny.

[Jenny Crouch]

This has to be one of my all time favourite poems! I read it first many years ago in a catalogue for the Mythic Garden Exhibition at Stone Lane Gardens. At the time I believe you had titled it Invocation but I think Night Journey suits it better and it has stayed with me ever since. I based a Uni art project on it.(I emailed you for your permission, which you graciously gave) Making a hand printed, hand bound book with illustrations. I still have my book and enjoy reading the poem every now and again. So I am most grateful to you Terri.

[margaret johnson]

dear terri, my heart skipped several beats while reading your beautiful poem. you have such a gracious and generous spirit, thankyou for sharing. margaret xx