Fraiku: Brodgar

Posted on 2024-07-05 by Bartholomew Barker

A new stone watches
The old stones have lichen beards
After thunder — sun

While the photo of the Ring of Brodgar is mine, the lines are not. I just stole three lines from George Mackay Brown‘s 1992 collection, Brodgar Poems. I’ve been reading his Carve the Runes, Selected Poems and I am in awe of his work. So many great lines that I wish I’d written.

For example, in his collection Travelers, there’s a set of twelve Haiku: For the Holy Places and this is one of them:

The Northern Sky

Orkney turns upon poles of light and darkness
A summer midnight, the north
Is red with the two lamps of dawn and sunset.

Brilliant! I should just put away my pen.

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About Bartholomew Barker

Bartholomew Barker is an organizer of Living Poetry, a collection of poets in the Triangle region of North Carolina where he has hosted a monthly feedback workshop for more than decade. His first poetry collection, Wednesday Night Regular, written in and about strip clubs, was published in 2013. His second, Milkshakes and Chilidogs, a chapbook of food inspired poetry was served in 2017. He was nominated for a Pushcart Prize in 2021. Born and raised in Ohio, studied in Chicago, he worked in Connecticut for nearly twenty years before moving to Hillsborough where he lives and writes poetry.
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12 Responses to Fraiku: Brodgar

  1. chihuahuagirl3's avatar chihuahuagirl3 says:
    2024-07-05 at 18:34

    Beautiful. Love the last line!! Brilliant. 🩷

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  2. johnlmalone's avatar johnlmalone says:
    2024-07-05 at 20:11

    yes, I love ‘lichen beards’ .I’ve got a lichen joke; I may post it as a tale, later — which originally it was —

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  3. berniebell1955's avatar berniebell1955 says:
    2024-07-06 at 03:48

    There have been times when we’ve been to a dance – come out in the early hours and not been able to tell if the light in the sky is yesterday’s or today’s.  It’s known as the simmer dim.  That isn’t a typo – it is simmer!

    I doubt that you’ll put your pen away – how would you open ancient locks?

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  4. berniebell1955's avatar berniebell1955 says:
    2024-07-06 at 03:50

    Here’s Mike’s Brodgar poem…Plus… https://theorkneynews.scot/2021/09/23/poetry-corner-celebrates-equinox/

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  5. johnlmalone's avatar johnlmalone says:
    2024-07-06 at 04:12

    Hi Bart: my lichen post is up —

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