Nymph-Like Virgin’s Milk

A mystical poem drawing analogies from Scripture and Greek Mythology, with our Lady as the 'Nymph-Like Virgin' and True Devotion to Her the means of nourishing one's acts, one's babes that is, with the milk of the nine 'peaches' -alluding to the nine muses- representing the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." (Gal 5:22-23a). The ‘peaches’ are also an allegory of unique Divine Lives or Divine Acts embodied and enacted by Christ Jesus in His Paschal Mystery which we are called to make our own in our every act. Yet this cannot be achieved by reaching with our own imperfect desire, but only by making use of Mary's desire -this Desire who is the Holy Spirit Himself, since She is 'full of grace', 'full of the Holy Spirit' - through a bold and filial faith.

A Nymph in the Forest, Lenoir Charles Amable.

O supple and sweet,

To me come leap,

Each of ye strange coloured

Dumpling like peach;

That grow most green,

-Nine succulent fruits-

From bare limbs of laurel

As mouthful’s of grace.

Babes little, hunger beneath,

Though arms mine can’t reach;

So “Virgin dear, help” smile I,

Whilst laying down strength mine.

Whence nymph-like Virgin leans

Slender to grasp each peach,

Taking bite from all with lips red

Till three on six all gone.

Then nourishment nine

Neatly was turned in flesh to milk,

Which filled all my bottles

With manna snow to feed my babes.

And though laurel lost peaches all,

Luscious fruits now bloom in place

More supple and sweet than last,

So nymph-like Virgin still I ask.

 4-5 July, 2015.