Send barges through mists
where the veil between worlds drifts.
Land on the Holy Isle of Avalon
halfway between our world and Faerie.
Meet anew legendary women
as wise women and priestesses.
See the world when we worshiped
Great Mother Goddess in spiritual quest.
See the struggles when deity became masculine.
Behold all we lost.
Over at dVerse Poets Pub, Samuel Peralta shared 55 word summaries of books. He had us use 55 words to link to the G-Man. Here's my summary of Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley, my all time favorite book. It tells the Arthurian legend through the eyes of the women and becomes a portrayal of women's struggles to survive in a masculine world.
it is a good book for sure..i read it somewhere along the line,
ReplyDeletei wonder if we had a genderless god if we would have less angst
or would we feel they could not relate?
It's interesting since god is genderless but is portrayed as male which then somehow supports male domination.
Deleteno more exclusive than the goddess though...any time we give a god a gender we are choosing sides, which is not god
DeleteI love that book, too. I read it long ago, and then read everything she ever wrote. I fell in love with the sci-fi books called the Darkover series. If you have never read them, I recommend them highly. I still remember some of the characters, and it's been thirty years! :-)
ReplyDeleteI don't know that series but will download them now- thanks.
DeleteI haven't read this so thanks for the recommendation ~ Her struggles still continue to this day ~ Happy Friday ~
ReplyDeleteGrace
Indeed they do. I cried at the end of this book over all we lost. It was the first book that changed my life.
DeleteKnowing that this was the first book that changed your life is a high recommendation. I enjoyed your 55 & the brief summary of the book.
ReplyDeleteSuch a good one.
DeleteI enjoyed reading both a 55 summary and poem! Spiritual quest is an eternal question. Well-done Grandmother Mary!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Gabriella. We carry on the quest no matter what the atmoshere.
DeleteThose last two lines . . . wow.
ReplyDeleteThe book is over 800 pages so I got immersed in that world and was surprised at the sense of loss at the end.
Deletenot familiar with the book but with the struggle a bit... sometimes it can get frustrating.. having my own story with a church that doesn't allow women being elders or to preach... ugh... yeah.. i left... i'm not a women's libber but i'm all for equality...
ReplyDeleteIt's been a long time coming this equality and churches seem to drag their feet and lose or ignore half their members.
DeleteMary, while I love reading poetry, I do miss your more intimate pieces of life lived abroad. Yep, selfish of me.
ReplyDeleteSuch a post is bubbling up recently.
DeleteWow Mary....
ReplyDeleteChivalry abounds still!
Loved your Medievil 55
A GREAT subject matter and a cool change of pace.
Thanks for playing, and have a Kick Ass Week-End
A pleasure to play in your game, sir.
DeleteYeah, that book makes it all so vivid.
ReplyDeleteTotal immersion...
DeleteI read that one and your post has me itching to read it again. Thank you for this reminder of what a good book it was.
ReplyDeleteI thought the same thing and intend to read it again.
DeleteBeautiful. In my teens I longed to be the Lady of Shalott as painted by Waterhouse... this reminds of that ethereal time! Thank you.
ReplyDeleteHave you heard Lorena McKennet singing The Lady of Shalott? Beautiful.
ReplyDeleteSuch a wonderful interpretation of the 55 article! You took the idea of book summaries and turned it into a poetic summary of one of my favourite books. Just wonderful!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Samuel. I liked the opportunity to write about this book. Neat that it's one of your favorites as well.
DeleteA fascinating story - one I've read many versions… and your last lines are excellent!
ReplyDelete