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Visions of Dionysus
Strange dreams heralded Your coming
Intense, vivid, real
Ivy and mead, yes, but more:
Drums in the distance, heavy and echoing
Spears and swords gleamed
Fangs shone
Something deeper and darker
Slather and blood dripped
Grinning
You stir them up
Drinking
Dancing
Howling
At first I cannot follow your footsteps
I cannot follow your rhythm
I cannot dance with you
I am too afraid
You stir them up with that bestial grin
That snapping of teeth and pawing the earth
That thudding of Your thyrsus
You stir them up with that roar
That shaking of Your body
That unbridled ferocity
You stir them up
You stir them up
You stir them up
How can I do other than follow my soul
As it leads me to dance
As it leads me to release
As it leads me to rage
Your wolfish grin invites
The forest unfolding
Come and be who you are
Io! Io! Io!
O Enualios!
O Holy Wild One!
O Dionysus!
Tasting Dionysus
I taste you in my wine press
Your body splits as the vice presses
Your flesh flows as it crushes
Your blood falls into my thirsty barrel
Each grape its own, each grape a taste of You
Twice-Born
The God caught Himself in the mirror and stood in awe
Absorbed, never thinking
That behind Him stalked His killers
Torn limb from limb
Body boiled, limbs roasted
The wine stained eyes fell from His mirror
Rolled up to His Father, whose wrath blazed
The furious bolt crashed
Dead fell the feasters
Dead fell the God-hungry
Living fell the beating heart of Lenaeus
Taken up by Athena it was blessed with knowing
Taken up by Demeter it was blessed with vitality
Taken up by Rhea it was blessed with purification
Taken up by Zeus it was blessed with power
Devoured by Semele, Dimetor came forth
The ivy-haired God shone forth
Twice-born of Semele learned again
To crawl, to step, to walk, to dance, to sing, to rave, to fight
He took up His gifts and power in glory
His sword felled every foe before Him
His thyrsus struck frenzy into His followers
His grapes crossed the world and brought wine to all peoples
His wine poured and dythrambic verse fell in power from His mouth
His ivy marked His paths and ways for worshipers and pilgrims
To follow Him where He would lead
O Zagreus Dimetor, O Reborn One! You show us the Ways!
O Isodaetes, You give free that we may give!
O Mighty Dragon, Your jaws have torn the foe!
Io Dionysos!
To Phosphoros Dionysos
O Phosphoros Dionysos Who Lights the Way!
Who lifts high the Flame that the Lost may See!
The candle in the utter dark
The ember that lights the saving fire
The torch that touches off the soul
Light us afire and set us free
O Pyrogenæs!
O Soter Phoshoros Dionysos!
Evohe! Evohe! Evohe!
Faces of Dionysos
Ivy-climbed hands lift
The swollen fruit high
Laughter peals across the vineyard
Hooves shake Earth
The neck bends back
Blood swells from the cloven throat
Practiced hands lower
The mask cover over
Gods descend among the theater
Teeth rend flesh
The sacrifice is taken
Bite by bite from death to life
