The Shelters of Stone (Earth's Children 5)

She was the Mother. She needed another.

She dared the great void, the chaos, the dark,

To find the cold home of the life-giving spark.

The whirlwind was fearsome, the darkness complete.

Chaos was freezing, and reached out for Her heat.

The Mother was brave. The danger was grave.

She drew from cold chaos the creative source,

Then conceiving within, She fled with life-force.

She grew with the life that She carried inside.

And gave of Herself with love and with pride.

The Mother was bearing. Her life She was sharing.

The dark empty void and the vast barren Earth,

With anticipation, awaited the birth.

Life drank from Her blood, it breathed from Her

bones.

It split Her skin open and sundered Her stones.

The Mother was giving. Another was living.

Her gushing birth waters filled rivers and seas,

And flooded the land, giving rise to the trees.

From each precious drop new grass and leaves grew,

And lush verdant plants made all the Earth new.

Her waters were flowing. New green was growing.

In violent labor spewing fire and strife,

She struggled in pain to give birth to new life.

Her dried clotted blood turned to red-ochred soil,

But the radiant child made it all worth the toil.

The Mother’s great joy. A bright shining boy.

Mountains rose up spouting flames from their crests,

She nurtured Her son from Her mountainous breasts.

He suckled so hard, the sparks flew so high,