By Sherin Shefik
Ash fell inlove with Rowan
At first sight
She was small but bold
With such powerful personal energy
A beautiful open domed crown
Covered in white floral and red berry patterns.
When Ash was near Rowan
He felt this denseness and dizziness
In her divinatory atmosphere.
And her hands
Oh my
Her hands
They were the same as his
Compound and pinnate
Five to eight fingers on each.
He blushed with pride when he heard
That the eagles call her
Mountain Ash.
Because she prefers the altitude
Where everything is wild
And she looks a bit like Ash himself.
He nicknamed her
The Lady of the Mountains.
Ash lowered his branches to her
Knowing that she knew what he was going to say
And then he took a deep breath
And asked for her leaf in marriage.
She nodded without hesitation
And their leaves burst into glittering
Dewy tears of joy and devotion and union.
All the river cults came to watch in awe
They bowed down to their ancient sun goddess Rowan
As she floated down the aisle
The river parting in her wake
Thousands of songbirds flocking to her
And singing at the tops of their little lungs.
Ash felt safe with Rowan by his side
As he clutched her night walking stick which
Protected him against bad luck
Protected him against darkness.
Rowan felt safe with Ash by her side
As he held the ancient keys to universal truth
To the inter-connectedness of everything.
The fingered leaves of rowan and ash
Intertwined in sacred ceremony.
She smeared her thick shiny
red berry blood
her onto his bark.
And in return he gave her
A key to his bright green beating heart
And their bond was made forever.
As they say in Scandinavia
The first woman was born from Rowan uterus
And the first man born from Ash seed.
So together
They bred a forest.
