Welsh Poems - Poems about Welsh

“Stafell Gynddylan” (“The Hall of Cynddylan”) belongs to the cycle of Welsh englyn or englynion (three-line stanzas) traditionally called “Canu Heledd” (“The Song of Heledd”). The Welsh “dd” is pronounced “th.” Cynddylan is pronounced KahN-THIHL-aeN. Stafell Gynddylan (“The Hall of Cynddylan”) Welsh englynion circa 1382-1410 translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch The hall of Cynddylan lies dark tonight. Lacking fire and a...

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In our world of healing hearts, there lies With Michael, Mary Welsh Foundation, a prize, A haven where souls find solace and rest, Amidst the storms, they're gently caressed. Within these walls, a psychological embrace, A symphony of care, filled with grace, Guiding troubled minds towards inner peace, Where anguish and pain find sweet release. A positive aura, whispers in the air, Lifting spirits,...

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Black Wheat A flash ; and crash; booming thundering of ear drums broken. Burning feet ; enveloping heat ; winds of razors shredding skin. Fields of scorch; distant fusion torch; Ploughs melt bleached bones scatter. Earth seared; parts human appeared; lasered ,vast hunger reigns. A million Suns ; burning as one; Steamed oceans vanish, rivers to. Lotts wife repeated; all food depleated; ...

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At times, I'd just like to slap that Seuss; hendecasyllabic seems obtuse. But Gwawdodyn's no use: three nines, a ten, and internal rhymes to be set loose. ---- There! Now I can say I've tried a Gwawdodyn: a Welsh quatrain with an aaxa rhyme scheme, specific syllable counts (9/9/10/9), and internal rhyme requirements on line 3. Onward! 1-xxxxxxxxa 2-xxxxxxxxa 3-xxxxbxxxxb 4-xxxxxxxxa...

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Message sent by radio years ago, still traveling. Perhaps something has received, perceived, but not answering. North America was first to burst voice into void. All nations followed at last, our broadcast signals deployed. Next came pixel video, movie show in black and white. King George and Adolph Hitler, bitter foes commence to fight. Later we added color, finely tuned for human eyes. Now our signals form a sphere of...

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Ingenious,humerous and proud Born to write words to be read aloud; 'I saw eternity the other night.. like a great ring of pure & endless light' Line ever remembered upon first sight. Tribute to this Welsh master poet from days gone by Henry Vaughan...

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You came in a beat up old blue Landie with tales of sleeping giants on your lips. It was your first night in the cottage when the Wye was skipping over stones, dividing the spiked water milfoil with sacred Pumlumon Fawr sunk into the sunset. We watched a heron draggle in and out of the water crowfoot beds, trusted we’d see muntjac...

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Historical crooner, troll-like in burrows your eerie cries are supernatural. Lacking red, yellow and orange but you shear the air to make up for it. I walked a few steps around your island once. Got so tired in a day with sandwiches and pop. Marvelled at your fifty million mile journey from Bardsey, (just down the road really) to...

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born beneath a tangle of stars cream cry Hamal blood-warm straw away in a manger the whistle of distant collie but all too soon a frosty breeze chews the nostrils the farmed proletariat mass in trucks with fear spindle limbs hacked, knife hung on a hook dragging her chair across the carpet mother mews the table herd clatter, scrape – silver on bone china manufactured in...

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Walking at dusk through the old park, the golden glow of forgiveness hangs in the air long enough for you to steal it with both hands but you choose not to, you choose, deliberately, to let the sun set on that particular episode. You walk the other way, past the lake, past the flowerbeds until you become traffic, become a remnant, for I will not open...

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He never once mentioned the pressure of his blood or his Mam I found dead on the floor his Dad’s cancer or his younger brother not once, during the best years of my life he fixed cars with a pipe slowly smoking a magician with gauges and valves he drank small amounts of beer most nights talked of governments, jays, woodpeckers and herbs and fishing he once caught a...

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…incongruous car alien shiny-red, carwash-clean not the usual sharp edges not stolen, like glances not abandoned, like puppies not torched, like memories not peeling, like marriage not rusting, like opportunity not dumped, like dreams not burnt out, well… his coat was left on a rock overlooking the industrial estate while drinkers and drivers leave the Rose and Crown past farms and blissful sheep his purple face his bloated...

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High home summer hill Straining, sucking, sitting Staring, stopped and stick- A pit-prop tight and gripped. The trees across the valley Much higher than he can go now. I pant to reassure him In time with his withered eyes. His tongue, tombed gritty green He’s faithful, though he’s fading Bones in death-grey jumper Where will he lead me next? from 'Layer Cake' 2009 http://amzn.to/vXCEFa...

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A pub that's typically Welsh Has music the English can't squelch Hymns and arias rule But, like any gene pool, The loudest is always a belch!...

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I swallowed hard the feelings scorned, to finish off my plate But filled I was in sated form a glutton postulate I bit off more than I could chew, with meat still on the bone My stomach full of fiery barbs —leftovers unatoned (Villanova University: January, 2020)...

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