Minoan Spring (a poem)

/ Rei Arkangelakis

a researched poem about the vernal equinox in Ancient Crete

Warm westerly winds replace the biting gales of the north.
Crocus, poppy, and lily saplings slowly spring forth.
Rainy season makes its anticipated exodus as March wanes,
the sunshine igniting a mountainous scene amidst flowery plains.

The Mother Goddess’ blessings are ever-bountiful,
and so, her devotees honor her with a vibrant spring festival
brimming with offerings, worship, sacrifices, and ecstatic dance
to ensure another year of fertility, flourishment, and favorable circumstance.

In the sustained daylight and deep into the night,
they jubilantly celebrate the cyclical rhythms of life
and their spiritual ties to the natural world—
whether olive, boar or bee, existence ebbs and unfurls.

a close-up of the Spring Fresco from Akrokriti, depicting a rocky landscape with lilies and swallows
a close-up of the Spring Fresco from Akrokriti, depicting a rocky landscape with lilies and swallows

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11 thoughts on “Minoan Spring (a poem)”

  6. Pingback: Minoan Mantinades / Μινωικές Μαντινάδες (folk poems by a Cretan-American poet) | Minoan Magissa

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