Prayer to the Lady of Birds and Horses
by Ari Kenner
May I fly like the lark,
O Rhiannon,
Soaring into the morning,
O Rhiannon,
With a voice and a wing
I will call in the spring,
May I fly like the lark,
O Rhiannon.
May I run like the racehorse,
O Rhiannon,
Swift and sleek toward my goals,
O Rhiannon,
I’ll be fire on the track
With the wind at my back,
May I run like the racehorse,
O Rhiannon.
May I swoop like the hawk,
O Rhiannon,
Sharp and keen to my target, O Rhiannon,
My eye will see all,
I will dive but not fall,
May I swoop like the hawk, O Rhiannon.
May I plod like the carthorse, O Rhiannon,
Bearing under my burdens, O Rhiannon,
Bear the loves of my heart
Under wagon or cart,
May I plod like the carthorse, O Rhiannon.
May I hide like the pheasant, O Rhiannon,
In hedgerow or ditch, O Rhiannon,
Blending skillful and shy
From my enemy’s eye,
May I hide like the pheasant, O Rhiannon.
May I climb like the trailhorse, O Rhiannon,
Up the steepest of mountains, O Rhiannon,
Sure-footed and slow,
Steady on may I go,
May I climb like the trailhorse, O Rhiannon.