Cairn S. Image credit Ken Williams/ShadowsandStone.com

The Valley of the Black Pig

The dews drop slowly and dreams gather; unknown spears
Suddenly hurtle before my dream awakened eyes,
And then the crash of fallen horsemen and the cries
Of unknown perishing armies beat about my ears.
We who still labour by the cromlech on the shore,
The grey cairn on the hill, when day sinks drowned in dew.
Being weary of the world's empires, bow down to you,
Master of the still stars and of the flaming door.

W B Yeats (1865-1939)

Reindeer hinds engraved on reindeer foot-bone. 10,000-15,000bce. Chaffaud, France

Found objects

A reindeer bone carved
In the reindeer's likeness
Saddle quern
Loom-weight
Spindle whorl.
A chalk phallus
A lump of chalk
With heavy curves bearing
The image of woman.

A necklace with blue beads
of Egyptian faience, black ones
of Kimmeride shale.
Slingstone
Cannon ball
Cartridge.
A phallus carved on the church wall.
A statuette of the virgin.

A coin worn headless,
with a disarticulate horse
Cartwheel
Crankshaft
flash bulb
a bust of the death-god
cast in imperishable alloy.

Jeremy Hooker