BROWSE Columns
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Cast a circle, burn the sweetgrass, and raise a cup of wine.
This is prayer of invocation; a call into the darkness
for the long lost gods of yore. What became of Brigid?
the old wives would say to one another, before spinning
tales of whimsy and artifice for their children.
Recalling the acquisition of pagan gods into a newly
minted Judeo-Christian world. A goddesses, syncretized
into Sainthood. Tonight, we speak her true name.
Children, make your beds, circle the home, and knock
the door three times. Oh daughter of the Dagda
and wife of Bres—Oh Mother of poetry,
healing, fertility, and girlhood. We welcome thee.
Your perpetual flame burns eternal in our hearth.
We exalt your season and your name.
Our wells overflow with spirit and blessings.
Keep safe our daughters and cast down the men
who would wish them harm.
EN: Imbolc is the traditional Gaelic festival to celebrate St. Brigid
S.J. de Matteo (pronouns: they/them/theirs) is a queer poet and dramaturge from New York. They spent two seasons as Associate Director of the award-winning Mint Theatre Company, where they co-curated the “Lost Voices in Black History” series alongside Dr. Aviva Helena Neff. They completed their BA in Dramatic Literature & Criticism at Sarah Lawrence College, where they studied under the playwright Cassandra Medley. S.J. is the recipient of a Fulbright and is currently pursuing postgraduate research in the School of English at Trinity College Dublin. Their poetry has appeared or is forthcoming in Beyond Words Literary Magazine, La Piccioletta Barca, and Prometheus Dreaming, among others.
