The sage and pupil journeyed on
Into a darkened valley-glade
Whose air was laden with the scent
Of unctuous and bitter saps.
For many nights, they carried on,
Sheltered beneath the forest canopies,
But no light seemed to guide their way—
No light but that of starlit streams.
The travelers listened to a choir
Of cicadas singing their song.
The summer breezes drifted through
A fog-enveloped maze of oaks.
“Some people walk the night,” said the sage
“But no clear path reveals itself.”
“They wander never knowing that
They lost the road so long ago.”
The sage went on, “Then there are those
Who journey through the denser woods.”
“They fear they might be found”—he stopped
And peered into the starlit stream.
David Gosselin is a writer, researcher and translator in Montreal, Canada. He is the founding editor of The Chained Muse and New Lyre Magazine. He writes on Substack at Age of Muses.
Journey Through Mountains: The Storm, The Climb & 17 Other Philosophical Vignettes
Get the entire series along with a bounty of timeless poetry in New Lyre - Winter 2021 All yearly paid subscribers ($80.00) get instance access to all New Lyre Magazine online content and archives, along with full access to Age of Muses, where we explore the current state of twenty-first century culture, creativity and art.
Download New Lyre Magazine - Summer 2023
Order New Lyre Magazine Directly from Amazon or Become a Paid Subscriber and Access the Complete Issue Below Contents In this Renaissance-themed issue, we offer an extensive journey across the classical Italian world of Dante, Petrarch and Guido Cavalcanti, along with a fiery flurry of new modern classical poems composed in a wide ranges of styles in themes. Among our rich assortment of Italian translations are the mystical sonnets of a young Dante Alighieri possessed by the mysterious “Amore”, as well as his later spiritually mature and deeply edifying “canzoni” (songs), along with a host timeless Petrarchan sonnets rendered in new gripping English translations. Among our many original voices featured in this issue are the ambitious and philosophical sonnets of John H.B. Martin and Daniel Platt, the ecstatic and spiritual songs and ballads of David B. Gosselin and the soul-titillating ditties of Michael R. Burch, among many others.
Download New Lyre Magazine - Winter 2024
Order New Lyre Magazine Directly from Amazon or Become a Paid Subscriber and Access the Complete Issue Below Contents In this latest issue of New Lyre Magazine, we reconstruct Aeschylus’ lost tragedy of Prometheus Unbound, revisit Plato’s age-old war against public opinion
New Lyre Magazine Archive
Those who wish to support our the full-fledged effort towards a new Age of Muses are invited to become full-fledged Renaissance Patrons. Our generous Patrons receive instant access to our entire New Lyre Magazine archive (bottom of the page). Additionally, Patrons receive two complimentary issues of our latest printed journal (we’ll email you for your preferred mailing coordinates). Individual copies of our journal can still be purchased directly from Amazon (simply click on the cover of any issue
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to The Chained Muse to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.