The Caves of Ismaron

Sometime before 1999 I was noodling away writing poems (at work if I’m honest) when these two lines popped into my head:

“Deep are the caves of Ismaron
where the Hoogles and Floogles have already gone.”

and not another word.

Normally when I write poetry I know that I’m writing it, but this was different because it popped into my head out of nowhere with a feeling of intent, then it stopped.

I never forgot those lines, but it was at least two years later that the next lines came into my head:

“They’ve stolen the map and shredded the guide;
if you don’t know the way then you’re sure to arrive.”

I immediately knew that they were part of the same poem because of the rhyming and scanning, and I realised that this time there was more to come so I grabbed a pen and started scribbling.

By the end of the scribbling I had the most unusual poem sitting in front of me, and at first I thought it was what they call a Nonsense poem, but the more I read it the more I realised that it was nothing of the kind.

Since then I have constantly used the poem with my students as a Spiritual study aid, and I haven’t met anyone who hasn’t been moved by it in some way.

I’m not going to explain it further because the poem is for you, to find your own meaning, to understand it in the way it makes sense to you.

For me the single most important message of this poem is that the Spirit World can deliver a message in a light-hearted manner without having to be too serious, too knowledgeable, too ‘worthy’.

They are showing us that they can have a little fun with some simple, straightforward words, make us smile, and yet deliver something that can change your life!

So even though it may seem at first glance to be a light-hearted piece of nonsense it is anything but, so much so that I’m currently noodling away at a book about the poem where each line or pair of lines has their own entire chapter!

Will you work out what The Caves are and where they can be found...email me with your thoughts at deb@dancing-star.org.uk! If you’re right I’ll let you know next month.

Happy searching

Deb

THE CAVES OF ISMARON

Deep are the caves of Ismaron
where the Hoogles and Floogles have already gone.
They’ve stolen the map and shredded the guide;
if you don’t know the way then you’re sure to arrive.
If you do know the way then you’ll only get bored
and miss all the signposts that should be ignored.

It’s vital your knowing just where you are going
in this place where the under is over the ground
in time without measure in search of a treasure
which never (was) hidden so can(not) be found.

The folks you encounter will measure your worth -
if the Hoogles are picky the Floogles are worse -
they’ve negative standards and punitive means
and nothing is ever quite not what it seems.

For the faint-hearted fool can be fooled by the wise
and the wise can be fooled by the Ismaron’s lies.
If the wise and the foolish are one and the same
then you’ll need to know some of the rules of this game.

You were conceived in a mist and then born in a fog
and kissing a prince(ess) only gets you a frog.
The light that you’re seeking has never been seen,
but it is where you are and it was where you’ve been.

So if you’ve the courage and if you’ve the nouse
(and if you’ve the key to get out of your house).
If you’re willing to finish what wasn’t begun
and to wander at night by the light of the sun,
you may well discover the Ismaron’s lair,
which could be a fable and may (not) be there.

Deb Hawken (©) 1999 - First published in Silent Voices 2010