Goddess

By John I. Blair

Long before the sarsens
Tilted into place
On Salisbury Plain
And carvers

Shaped hard limestone
Into melon-breasted women
We knew whence we came,
Our Mother’s children.

The evidence surrounded us:
Though males could kill,
Females birthed us, suckled us,
Hugged us, crooned.

There were gods to fear,
Gods for lightning, gods
For crushing waves,
For burning sun;

But in our loins and guts
We knew the Earth
Must have teats,
A womb.

©2008 John I. Blair