Chattering Pies

Sorrow and Joy perched on an Oak,

laughing together at the same joke,

“Sorrow my darling I love your song”

“Joy your words are never wrong”

chee-ik chee-ik chee-ik ka ka!

“Well look who it is” said Sorrow to Joy,

for lopping the loop, flew to them Girl Boy,

“happy to see you my sisters now four,

If this is a meeting then surely theres more?”

chee-ik chee-ik chee-ik ka ka!

Up hopped Silver, followed by Gold,

and finally Secret, never be told.

“Secret oh Secret” they chattered away,

“what Secret do you bring here today?”

chee-ik chee-ik chee-ik ka ka!

“Across the winds, today I’ve heard

stories and legends, symbols and word”

She told them tales and stories anon,

adventures of magpies, of luck going on.

“Met I sisters in the midlands, shoulder to the sea,

in great delight this tale they entrusted it to me!

There was Sorrow and Mirth and Wedding and Birth,

Heaven and Hell and Devil, on earth!

chee-ik chee-ik chee-ik ka ka!

A tale was told of a story so old,

only Devil herself remembered,

As waters did part giving way to land,

for the purification that God had planned,

Devil was born from the love and the scorn

of a Raven and a Dove.

Seven eggs had been laid

on the land Mother bade,

and to them all, gifts she gave.

“Oh, my children, my brave ambition!

Unto my nest of superstition!

Each one to you I give a mission!

Call the coming of the stranger!

Fly from the left to warn of danger,

hop when boding be forlorn,

be caught in sight, by house, by morn.

One for Sorrow

Two for Mirth

Three for a Wedding,

Four for a Birth,

Five for Heaven,

Six for Hell

Seven and you’ll see the Devil himself!

and a double treasure I bestow to you all, remember your luck whenever you call,

One for Sorrow

Two for Joy

Three for a Girl

And four for a Boy

Five for Silver

Six for Gold,

Seven for a Secret never be told”.

Well, Devil said, “oh Mother dear,

the prophecy, it’s rather queer,

what secret must I never share?

Please, tell me, if you dare?”

And Mother did - oh was it wise?

For secrets share in loves demise,

but with her words a love so bold,

Seven became a tale that has to be told

“Unto your mouth there is a point,

for where a spot is laid,

and here is where a scratch is wise

when human blood is bade!

A single drop upon the tongue,

a fire will enlight your lung,

and procure human talk,

For when you chatter,

your magic will matter,

and in those words

the devil will walk!”

By tale the sisters were amazed,

by shiny truth they all were dazed!

They flew off all throughout the skies,

met by fear and human despise,

and since when chattering is heard, superstitions follow, quite absurd.

But when they’re seen, it is wise,

to greet magpies with courteous eyes.

So do not fear and do not hate,

but question what luck be your fate,

when magpies bring it to your gate,

if perchance you see there eight?

chee-ik chee-ik chee-ik ka ka!

Bluebell

Hold a bell and it rattles

release a bell and it rings,

at first sight i saw them,

I loved the gifts they bring.

Plant a bell, a bluebell!

A sky carpet, a magic spell!

An indigo sea of purple light!

A spring awakening delight!

Back to the woodlands or lucky hill

adorned by flower azure,

with steady tread we journey on

to hear the bells allure.

Sing to the bells of the blue wells

the fragrant breeze that lifts the smells

the waves that move among the shells

that mirrors sky in parallels!

And when the bells stop flowering

when colours die and cease to sing,

the voice no more in woodland heard

as summer blooms in song of bird.

But what the bell is waiting for,

is time to dry it out,

for when a bell is held in sun,

a rattle begins to shout!

So throw that seed into the wood

from rattle, once a bell,

and come back in the springtime next

to hear them tell their tale!

Hold a bell and it rattles

release a bell and it rings,

hold a bell and it rattles

but released, a bell will sing.

Oh Chalara

Oh Chalara, your voice is heard

across the world, on winds unfurled

Oh Chalara, your voice is heard

Let us not condemn you,

nor curse your name untrue,

Chalara we speak to you,

our pain be clear to you

We're called by the dance of death,

of our Ash tree,

Chalara the teacher,

of a deadly melody.

We too have been the truth

made with our own hands,

cut deep into the Earth

in colonialised lands,

The devastation brought about

not listening to the Earth,

help us embrace our fears

to let our love rebirth

In deaths door a vision

your mirror clear to see,

how we can reconnect in grief

back to our Ash tree,

Let the waters flow through us

deep within the wells ,

evolve cohabitation

deep within our cells.

Let us sing aloud with all of our soul,

as a single living breathing Earth,

of adaptations whole rebirth!

Let us sing aloud with all of our soul,

as we wake into the future

to let our Earth be whole.

Oh Chalara, your voice is heard

Oh Chalara, hear our word

Chalara Ash Dieback is the fungus that has spread across the world and is devastating the European Ash tree.

Chalara travelled to Europe in our hands and as our European Ash trees did not evolve with defences to Chalara, the pair have met with devastating consequences. Chalara starves the Ash of water, killing the tree from the top down. 40% of Britains native woodland is Ash, which means our landscape is set to dramatically change. In Norse mythology Yggdrasil, ‘The Tree of Life’ was the Ash who who gave birth to humankind.