How the blog works

The poems on this blog are mostly written on the basis of my historical reading and are intended to be both educational and entertaining.
Recently I have also begun posting some of my work with Anglo-Saxon charms. This work is somewhat speculative and is conducted as an amateur researcher and keen Pagan historian.

Please feel free to use anything on this site as a resource if you think that it may be relevant to your needs.

Sunday, 9 May 2021

A rough first reading of my Yorkshire Poetry Poem Leading into the Land Charm

 

Bare in mind that I have had a pint of something strong.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JB6HVpgjJlk&list=PLW6ghSB6vp60MVcSUQWwF-hnEKfYWv0kU&index=9

Elizabethan May - with some friends on line

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYY0qj72RvQ&list=PLW6ghSB6vp60MVcSUQWwF-hnEKfYWv0kU&index=2

Friday, 7 May 2021

Some of my poems on YouTube

Thou art Ealfscyne             https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSVfgZBXOiE 
 On the Spindle Side          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spMipoGqWP4 
 Ealfred                              https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2ZJ-gIYlSE 
 Dark Forest Rite               https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHmQ2PD8Ty4 
 Wassail the Apple Trees    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42k41Paprl8 
 The Corn Dolly                 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CEsTx0gxVo 
 Twelfth Night                    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTOt3BWCmrM 
 Kissing Friday                   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VrMlwtFkyY 
 A Maying                          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpaSCb8V3Hc 
 Return ye Haetesse           https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-L0RpTcWhU

Sunday, 7 February 2021

Lunar Phantoms

 

In the ever still, soft Lunar landscape,

strange flicker appears, in corner of eye.

Hidden spirits seen, in a moon day dream,

of ashen landscape, and obsidian sky.


The sound of breathing, masks stillness around,

Selene's still spectres, are shy to appear.

Behind a grey rock, or in crater deep,

on distant mountain, on dry distant sphere.


Moon apparitions, in long Lunar night,

stark Earthshine shadows, on grey basalt rock.

Strange spangle flicker, on regolith plain,

while back connecting, your spacesuit to dock.


On the distant dry, other airless world,

those silent spirits, form a link between,

Chang'e and Zorya, Selene and Luna,

mankind and moonscape, whilst staying unseen.


The longer your stay, the more that you see,

to Earth sick veterans, shy phantoms emerge.

Conjured Selenites, called into being,

change and movement, the need and the urge.


Introduction

Sometimes when one changes one's gaze or looks around, you may see a movement but when you look again, you see that there is nothing there. If you wear glasses, this tends to happen more often due to reflections.

On the moon, one is always looking at the surface through a glass visor or window.

I predict that when we have a long-stay presence on the moon that our need to see movement coupled with the unchanging stillness of the lunar landscape and occasional flickers in the peripheral field of vision could become interpreted as Lunar Phantoms.

This poem puts a pagan spin on this.

Copyright Andrew Rea Candlemas 2021

Sending an email

I was working on the thingy today,

when the whatsit refused to display.

I checked the network what-d'you-call-it,

it had lost connection to the widget.


So I opened and clicked on the whatnot,

and reconnected to the thingamabob.

But the gizmo thingy oh what's-its-name,

was still going round and round just the same.


So I pulled the little Thingamajig out,

stuffed it in the whojar and gave it a clout.

But the thingamabob was going very slow,

perhaps its that downloading gadget, d'oh!


So I opened up the thingummy app,

Got the download thingy to take a nap.

But did the paraphernalia go,

correctly to the recipient, d'oh!


So I clicked on the email whojimaflip,

and checked the gubbins box on the side strip.

The widget was in the draft contraption box,

so its back to the beginning, oh pocks!


Copyright Andrew Rea Candlemas 2021


Saturday, 16 January 2021

Through the Fairy Gate

On the dry heath, people frolic and play,

laughing and lively shouting.

Plenty of movement, much running about,

the children's kite outing.


Gently walking down, to the fairy gate,

the wind drops in the glade.

Approaching the gap, in the spellbound hedge,

the sound begins to fade.


Entering the hedge, haunted leaves above,

an eerie silence to share.

Half a step further, in fairy abode,

a chill hangs in the air.


In charmed centre, of the hidden portal,

dark moister all around.

A tingle running, creeping down the spine,

quiet chill silent sound.


Tiptoeing over, magic causeway path,

fairy power in the air.

The portal across, to the other side,

fairy footpath shady dare.


Slowly stepping out, of fairy portal,

folk are quietly sitting.

Balmy air on cheek, the light breeze returns,

peacefulness permitting.


Copyright Andrew Rea January 2021


Introduction

This poem is written about a Fairy Gate that I found on Hampstead Heath a few years ago and describes what I and others have experienced walking through the portal on a summers day. All the effects seem to be real, changes in wind, sound, temperature, humidity and light. On the other side people are seen to be calmer.

Now most of this can be put down to simple geological science, but for me it's a Fairy Gate.