Three Rings for the Elven Kings

For many years, since O’Shea was not their name, it proved impossible to trace Michelle’s family and their farm. The ‘lucky break’ came via Facebook in 2010. The woods where she met and spoke with the Elves while growing up are clearly visible on the map below, as is the western shoreline of Henderson Inlet, where the local Indian tribes who once inhabited the region had left huge piles of discarded shells. Some of this land is now part of the Woodard Bay Conservation Area.

The photos on the left are a selection of those that Michelle shared with me during 2002 (most of which were taken by her uncle on a trip to San Diego in 2001). The poems below, reproduced exactly as written, are those that I sent to Michelle on the dates indicated.

Come to me my Dark Elf,
come across wide lands and stormy oceans,
to my green island set in a silver sea.

Come to me and bring your elf daughter with you,
come and be my wife,
and mother to my children yet unborn.

Come to me and together we will ride through the forest,
come and make passionate love to me,
as souls entwined we explore the realms of magic.

Come to me my Dark Elf,
come before the sun reaches its zenith in high summer,
and long before the autumn leaves begin to fall.

Come to me, come to me, come to me.

Tul Moriquenda, an quenuvalye i lamber Eldareva
Tul Moriquenda, auta i lome, aure entuluva
Tul Moriquenda, mi laire alkarinque

Le meln, Moriquendi wen

‘Come Dark Elf, for thou canst speak the tongues of the Elves
‘Come Dark Elf, the night is passing, day shall come again
‘Come Dark Elf, in glorious summer

‘I love thee, Dark Elven maiden’

You are the life of the flowers and trees
You are the bird song and buzzing of bees
You are the fishes that swim in the sea
You are the animals all running free
You are the scent of the forest at dawn
You are the wind and the rain in a storm
You are the laughter of children at play
You are the warmth of the sunlight in day
You are the spray of the babbling brook
You are the magic wherever I look
You are the moon and the stars up above
You are the true living essence of love
You are the music that touches my soul
You are the healer who makes me feel whole
You are the bringer of all that is kind
You are the infinite love that is blind
You are the goddess who walks through the night
You are the dark elf who shows me the light
You are the land that is calling to me
You are the place where I’m longing to be
You are the girl who can still make me cry
You are the woman I’ll love till I die

I long to see the sunlight glinting on your golden hair
As you run through the tall grass without a care
Skipping and laughing for all you are worth
You are a natural creature of the earth

There was once a horseman who rode across broad lands on his horse
He rode and rode for years and years, seeking and searching
All alone was this horseman with his trusty horse
Across plains and fields of wheat he rode
Up lofty mountains and through valleys of corn
In the heat of summer he rode, and also in the cool breeze of autumn
He rode through the frosts of winter and the life of the springtime
Searching and seeking, looking for something
Then one fine day with the sun high in the sky and the gentle breeze on his face he came across a forest
He stepped down from his horse and led him into the wood
Winding paths inside the forest led the horseman deeper and deeper into the woods
He smelled the wild flowers and mushrooms all around him
Through oak and ash and thorn he walked, getting ever deeper
And then he heard the sound of a river in the distance, fast flowing and proud
He followed that sound, along the winding paths
Eventually he came upon an enchanted glade by the water’s edge
In the middle of the glade was a rock covered in moss
And sitting upon that rock was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen
An elf maiden with long flowing locks of golden hair
And the horseman knew that he had found what he had
been searching for his whole life
He walked over to the elf maiden and knelt in front of her
He kissed her feet and said
I am yours forever

You can hear the cries of seagulls high above as you glide through the cool night air with the wind in your face. The smell of the ocean fills you with its briny taste, and your hair is streaming behind you in all its glorious brilliance in the silvery light of the moon. You are the beautiful princess of the elves flying home to celebrate the ancient feast of Samhain in the land of your ancestors, the magical land where all things dreamed are possible. As you approach the shore you can hear the sound of distant drums on the hill tops, accompanied by the music of pipes and the singing of your elven kin folk. They are welcoming home their long lost daughter who went to dwell in the far west, on the very edge of the known world where the sky meets the sea and the forest reaches down to the water’s edge. You follow the acrid smell of the bonfires which have been lit to guide you to the place of meeting, the ancient place where countless generations of your people have gathered on this very night to mark the turning of the year, and to commune with those who have gone before. At last you arrive, and come to rest in the centre of the ancient circle of stones, which were old when the world was young and which will still be standing when all the fragile creations of mankind have been swept into the sea. As you touch down on the damp grass a pair of strong arms takes hold of you, and you feel such a blissful sense of warmth and safety. The arms that have found you are those of your wild horseman of the moon, who has waited his whole life for this moment. You can feel his long hair as it dangles over your body, and you can smell his musky aroma all around you. He takes you by the hand and together you walk from the stone circle and into the nearby forest, where ash and oak and elm trees grow thick and fast, protecting all those who would come with love in their hearts. Your wild horseman leads you through paths as yet untrodden by mortal feet, deep into the heart of the forest where none have ventured before. Soon the singing of your kin folk fades into the distance, and you are alone with your horseman deep in the forest. You smell the pungent aroma of the undergrowth beneath your feet, the forest flowers and plants all vying with each other for your attention. At last you reach a secret clearing beside a river, where you walk though the tall grass, safe in the arms of your horseman. Your skin tingles whenever he touches it and your very soul is aflame with desire. He stops walking and gently strokes your face. You move closer and your lips meet in a passionate kiss which lifts your soul into the realms of pure ecstasy, as he folds his arms around you so that your breasts are pressed against his chest. You can feel his heart beating fast and strong in time with yours, two hearts beating as one through all eternity. This is the moment that will last forever. Together you lie down in the tall grass with the sound of the river still in your ears. He kisses you again and the world begins to spiral in an ageless dance of love which transcends all else. Your body is quivering with anticipation and your soul is ready for union with the cosmos. Your horseman enters the gates of paradise and sends you to a magical realm of sensation that you cannot even begin to describe. You are flying together on the winds of passion and floating on an endless ocean of love. Nothing will ever spoil this perfect and eternal moment of pure bliss, this merging of two souls into one immortal being, this magical act of union that is more powerful than anything else that exists. You are a natural creature of the earth and you have entered into communion with the whole of eternity. You are a goddess

There is a wistful fairy living deep inside the wood
And everything she ever does is magical and good
I love that little fairy more than anything I know
I’ll follow her for ever more wherever she may go
There is a wistful fairy living deep inside the wood
And everything she ever does is magical and good
I love that little fairy with all my heart and soul
It’s only when I’m with her that I can feel whole
There is a wistful fairy living deep inside the wood
And everything she ever does is magical and good
I love that little fairy so much more than my own life
And one fine day I know for sure that she will be my wife