Transient Voyagers

Cards and Kisses, Dream Land and To A Wreath of Snow were written in August 2019, January 2021 and March 2021, respectively, setting poetry by John Lyly, Christina Rossetti and Emily Brontë. All three poems describe a state of in-between, but with very different outcomes.



The central motive in Cards and Kisses is a heated card game with high stakes in a humorous and metaphorical setting - until the very end, when things take a turn for the worse and love has lost in more than one way.



Christina Rossetti’s Dream Land describes a soul’s journey through the interim space between the moment of death and the ascension into a vision of Heaven. This interim space is described as a cold and dark place, between the life that has been left behind and the state of perfect peace that makes the former pale in comparison.



To a Wreath of Snow was written as part of the stories from the fantasy world Gondal and in the character of its imprisoned Queen. The character finds temporary relief in losing herself in the sight of the falling snow, but in contrast to the other two poems, her actual situation remains unchanged. The last two verses of the poem have been omitted in this setting.



© Robin Fiedler