“There is a crack, a crack in
everything. That’s where
the light gets in.” Leonard Cohen
In a quiet corner
of this old museum a grail lies. Far from the famed Pre-Raphaelites and
Raphaelites and all the other ites it sits beside its ancient friend. The Holy Grail
is said to heal and whole whoever drinks from it. But Christians think
communion cups of any kind can turn your wine to blood, and golden salvers turn
your bread to flesh. Ah! The grail that you see is not the grail that you think
you know. Its holiness pertains to holes around its sides. Patched and patched,
patched and mended, this Holy Grail is not exactly splendid.
Why are we here?
Look with your inner eye. Go on, give it a try. Are those just rings that hold
the handles on the lip, or can you catch a glimpse of fingers take a grip. Over
the lip, over the lip, over the lip and in- Gwion dips and comes out Taliesin.
Are you a bard, or druid, did you say? You’ll know the tale where Gwion steals
new life and runs away. Ceridwen’s cauldron is the grail on display.
Cool and quiet,
behind the glass, why not go by, and simply let this pass? It asks no questions, hasn’t much to say, why
not walk on, it will be here still on some other day? Oh, but if you will look
closely then perhaps you’ll see a fire burn below it, a fire from a living
tree- a fire that can turn base metal into gold, and other wonders, wonders to
behold – if you could only see this object with your inner eye. I beg you once
again, give it a try.
© Nick Owen November 2014
