Silsden
in Cobbydale you will always
be an incomer to
those who lived here
always
Always
Northern Lights beckon – mystical
Earth’s shield made visible
– too cold and dark
perhaps
Perhaps
the sunny South could warm our bones
but heat is hard to bear
when, old, you seek
travel
Travel
East to Holland’s green and wet heart
go on – circle the Earth
return home from
the West
The West
land of Tír na nÓg where we
may live eternally
beyond our lives’
sunset…
© Andrew Wilson, 2026
Over at dVerse Poets Pub, Laura Bloomsbury in Meeting the Bar: Critique and Craft, invites us to write about leaving home…
- 25 lines
- 5 stanzas –
- 1st stanza is your home (real or imaginary)
- next 4 stanzas – each compass point away from your home
- 5 lines per stanza – quintain
- syllabic structure, optional rhyme (Crown Cinquain)*
- OR
- unrhymed and unstructured (Pentastitch)
- the title should begin or include: “Five …………”
The Crown Cinquain is a new one on me…
I love this, Andrew. Such a beautifully written poem.
Thanks, Marilyn, I took a complete break from writing whilst we were away but I do like to meet Laura’s technical challenges – they can bring out a lot by restricting so much…
thanks for that Andrew and for joining in
Wow! A crown cinquain, Andrew! The form is restrictive but you overcame it to write beautifully and I can see we both wrote about travelling.
🤗
Thanks, Punam…
Loved this, so well executed and evoked! I especially enjoyed the last stanza “The West
land of Tír na nÓg where we
may live eternally
beyond our lives’
sunset…”
Sounds like heaven to me💜
Thanks, Cara, We used to live on the West coast of Ireland and Tír na nÓg lies over the horizon beyond the sunset…
Brilliant – the poet took me round the earth and all in a cinquain Andrew – in those measured tones from a robust North I almost missed the magical ending
Thanks, Laura – good prompt, good poem…
From a small town to beyond is quite the journey, poetically.
Fantastic. You have always written good poetry.
Thanks, Cai, I am so glad you think so…
This is so good – I love “Earth’s shield made visible”.
Thanks, Kate, I like to think that science and poetry can mix seamlessly…
Oh, I love the full circle of travelling around the world
I am intrigued with “incomer” ~ a new descriptor for me. I will describe myself that way every time I travel to a new destination!!! You managed the [tricky] form with style and may I add, great talent!!!
Praise indeed, thanks Helen…
A nice journey you took us on here Andrew 👏
Thanks, Shaun…
Wow, this is beautiful!
Thanks, Sreeja…