Yule

Kenny Klien

Amongst the oak and holly leaves
The wren and robin sat between
"Come", the wren croaked, "I shall sing
A song of winter cold".
"My brother is the far-flung crow
The black death-watch upon the snow
The swordless Horned One to him goes
When Autumn sun wanes cold."
"My Sister of Dark Night is queen
The hag that lives the moons between
Her womb is barren now of seed
Her lover grey and old".
"And where have you been, robin brother?

Gone to see your white-breast mother?
The white snow covers up her bowers,
She's taken her home of old".
Amidst the oak and holly leaves
The robin silent sat between
Until with sweet voice, calmly
He began a merry song.
"Long has my White-Crow Mother been
With your brother, Black Winged Bran
Until her belly stirs within
As Yuletide sun grows strong."
"And now at sunrise, silent stark,
Between the days and the Winter dark

Rekindled is The Fire's spark
The Oak King sounds the horn."
"In the forest's icy gleam
There goes a shadow, swiftly seen,
The holly and the oak between
The Green Man is reborn."
"So tell me truly, dark-eyed wren,
Where will you the Summer spend?
Until The Wheel is turned again
And Winter casts its thorn?"
But wren's reply was never got
By a golden arrow he'd been shot
And darkness died upon the spot

The holly and the oak between.
The Oak King is now berry-crowned
The Green Man, born the forest 'round
But the wren lays cold upon the ground
The holly and the oak between
And young lads on the darkest night
Their golden arrows swift in flight
Will sing until the morning bright
The sun to welcome in:
"The wren, the wren, the King of the birds,
On Yuletide Day was caught in the furze.
Up with the kettle and down with the pan,
And give us a penny to bury the wren."