"Beira: Scottish Queen of Winter" by Teresa Burns Murphy, First Place, 2016

Beira: Scottish Queen of Winter

by Teresa Burns Murphy of Fairfax, Virginia

First Place, 2016

Beira, the blue Winter Queen,
the howling wind, her haunting keen,
whisks from the highlands all serene
hope for weather
pleasing. The hard-nosed hag sweeps clean
fields of heather.

Withering as the earth grows bleak,
this crone The Well of Youth must seek
before she’s rendered much too weak.
Streams pelagic
restore her to her youthful peak
with their magic,

mending power. While she’s away,
Angus, the Summer King, holds sway.
With Bride, the Spring Queen, he’ll allay
the winter blight,
replace the season’s clothes of gray
with colors bright.

But she’ll be back, that giantess,
the architect of old Loch Ness.
Just give her time to convalesce.
Snow once again
will stipple the land. Winds will press
across the glen.

And fierce Beira will return
to Ben Nevis to start her stern
reign all over. The seas will churn.
Chills will abide.
‘Til Angus comes back, Scots will yearn
for his spring bride.