Woodland Wedding

Travel with me, to the land of dreams,

Where rivers of music paint rainbow scenes.

And dancing on air, our spirits take flight

Off to a forest on this special night,

Into a clearing so bright and so gay,

Lit up by lanterns, of firefly display.

A faerie King waits, for his lover so true,

Surrounded by courtiers, all dressed in blue.

And as you look round, more faeries you see,

Flitting through branches, in nearby trees.

Small shining faces, hearts filled with pride,

Patiently waiting, for their faerie King's bride.

Tension builds up, as the nightingales trill,

And faerie musicians add more to the thrill.

Just when you think, you can't take anymore,

The air splits asunder, with tremendous furore.

A faerie up high, in the tallest tall tree,

Announces the arrival - of the wedding party.

Fanfares now sound from triumphant horns,

For a carriage that's pulled by unicorns,

Sitting in comfort, inside her glass coach,

Is a beautiful faerie beyond reproach?

While bluebells are chiming, and harebells ring,

The carriage draws close, and halts by the King.

A ladybird footman now opens the door,

And his bride sets foot, on the soft moss floor.

Her ladies in waiting now come to her aid,

To fulfil the promise, they long ago made.

Smiling she turns, to her champion so true,

And they pledge their troth, as young lovers do.

A Kingdom enjoys, the wedding banquet,

Around mushroom tables so neatly set.

A feast of honey and blackberry wine,

Strawberries and grapes, plucked fresh from the vine.

Blessed with wisdom, by an old faerie earl,

The forest rang out, with the word - Tulipearl!

The faerie musicians play liquid tunes.

That splash and tinkle, their way to the moon.

The feasting all over, time now to dance,

To celebrate life, see how they all prance.

The King leads his Queen, while courtiers sing,

Charms of good fortune and all that they bring.

While faeries whirl round, this beautiful sight,

Laughing and singing on through the night.

With heads full of wine, and joy in their hearts,

The King and his Queen, now turn to depart.

Well-wishers cheer, as the coach pulls away,

Together they'll stand to face a new day.

The firefly lanterns go out one by one,

Replaced by the light, of a golden new dawn.

Small tired bodies, with eyes full of sleep,

Gently flit home, with secrets to keep.

And while they slumber, in their tiny beds

Dreams of the wedding now fill their heads

And just like the faeries, our time has come

For us to go too, and return back home

We travelled in spirit, to the land of my dreams,

Where rivers of music paint rainbow scenes.

And when we awake, the message unfurls,

There's no greater feeling, than Tulipearl...

(Tulipearl is a very small faerie word, with a big meaning. And the word is Love...)

Artist Ida Rentoul Outhwaite