Heysham
Vikings village
Basking, Brawling, Battling
Deathly deeds at Brunanburh
Vanquished.
©Alison Jean Hankinson.
The Vikings at Heysham may well have allied with the Scots and Britons at the Battle of Brunanburgh but the English were the victors.
Category: Heysham
New Year rises
It was a turbulent week just like the weather. We saw the wolf moon shining bright in the New Year sky and it brought tidal wrath to the coastline. There were forecast to be High tides and they arrived at the same time as storm Eleanor. Around Cumbria and the Furness peninsula storm surge brought debris and made some of the roads impassable.
As we return to work and tried to re-establish the pre-Christmas normalcy in patterns of life and leisure we know with certainty that we are walking forwards into a turbulent future likely to match the week and mayhem of the wonderful wolf moon. Two supermoons this month, I wonder what the next one will bring.
High tide storm rising
Whispers of windswept dreams fly
New Year, wolf moon chides.
©Alison Jean Hankinson
This is for d’Verse haibun monday.
Whilst I am here this is the wonderful d’Verse anthology that has recently been published and is available to purchase on Amazon.
- Chiaroscuro – Darkness and Light, dVerse Anthology, 2017.
This is a collaborative project between the dVerse poets and dVerse team. Over 100 poets from around the world contributed to this anthology. We selected not only the best poems but also those poems that take the reader through a journey from the darkest places to the brightest. From the deepest sorrow into happiness and love. From the darkest streets to woods in spring. Come enjoy our journey.
Now available at Amazon North America and Amazon Europe.
Share this:
Shades of 50.
It is done, my fiftieth birthday year finally gone
Kicked the ass out of that, had a bit of fun
Moved house and home,
And now it is done.
Heartaches and happiness all in one.
What a year, glad to move on to 51.
© Alison Jean Hankinson
this is a bit cheesy but all I could muster for this week’s Quadrille at d’Verse. I celebrated my fiftieth birthday in hospital and it has been a roller-coaster of a year and I think some of the biggest dips were in the last week, so I was a bit quiet….So tomorrow I start a new day, and a new year… and I will be 51.
I miss my Ellen though and would love to have her home with me. XXXX
Share this:
Autumn mists
We had to take Emily to a very early morning television shoot, she was being an extra. It gave us the chance to make the most of Tatton Park and the autumn leaves before the trees are rendered naked by Ophelia. She became unexpectedly very ill and we rushed home and she was admitted to hospital. I had to come home and leave her there.
She phoned all awry and crying this morning and as I rushed to get to her I looked back towards the sea and saw the most amazing misty haze, and it was the calm before the storm, going into town the River Lune was like a looking glass. They have kept her in again and the wind is billowing and blowing.
Calm before the storm
Sea mists rise and hazy hues
Leaves flutter and fall.
©Alison Jean Hankinson
This is for d’Verse. Haibun Monday.
Share this:
Shall we sit on the park bench at sundown…?
Shall we sit a while,
Watching the sun go down over yonder?
Shall we share our bravest thoughts and dreams
Express in silent contemplation
Our sense of wonder?
Shall we watch the night unfold
Hold hands and watch the day grow old,
Pause a while, dream a little, share a smile
Knowing that the stars meanwhile
will always serve as a reminder
Of the love we shared?
©Alison Jean Hankinson
This is for d’Verse where Bjorn has challenged us to write a poem of only questions…my first effort was very questionable….this is my second….
Share this:
The colour of a single moment….
For me, I find that I like to capture a moment. It is like taking a photograph, I want to make it three-dimensional and breathe life into it. It can be any moment, it can be a moment that exists has existed or a created imaginary moment. The moment can be characterised by a sound, an image, a feeling, and the poem grows from that moment.
I also like to play with words, I see it is a challenge. I guess it is like playing music, I enjoy it immensely, making the images and playing with the words and sounds. Tonight the sunset was bright orange. It was truly amazing, this was the moment- it was burnished orange. It became a Haiku because tonight was haibun Monday. I didn’t think I would get home in time to get a photo, but I just caught the last traces of it.
Bright orange sunset
Burnished embers summer sun
Harvest moon leaves fall.
© Alison Jean Hankinson
This is for d’Verse Haibun Monday.
Share this:
Changing Seasons…
Winsome wind
Lifting leaves
From autumn trees.
Gusty squalls
Across the reach
Hearty waves crash on a windswept beach.
Stormy days unease
September’s short reprise
Before relentless chill of winter.
©Alison Jean Hankinson
As summer gives way to Autumn and we near the Fall equinox this seems to be the right poem for d’Verse open link night. Soon be out in those wellies crunching the fallen leaves…
