Cogs change

Cogs rotate, interlocking;
Brass indents turning;
Measuring our time changes.

Haiku and photo Copyright Englepip©

In response to:

Debbie Smyth, 12 January 2020

Posted as part of One Word Sunday

Change

The Yew

‘Taxus baccata is a conifer native to western, central and southern Europe, northwest Africa, northern Iran and southwest Asia. It is the tree originally known as yew, though with other related trees becoming known, it may now be known as common yew, English yew, or European yew.’ Wikipedia

Needles of toxicity
Hardened death bringer
But Celtic resurrector.

There are many myths surrounding the Yew tree. It is one of the most lon lived trees around and its wood is very dense and therefore good for things like furniture making. Yet every part except the fleshy part of the fruit is toxic to humans (although you would have to eat over 50 – 100 grams!). Some animals do not seem to get poisoned by eating yew.

There was tree in the graveyard at Selborne, Hampshire UK, which was reputedly about 1400 years old. Its girth was 26 feet. Unfortunately it fell in a gale in 1990 and did not recover.

The trees are evergreen although the needles do fall at times of the year. There are male and female trees and in the early Spring the male ‘flower’ send out clouds of pollen. The berries are not real berries but form small red fleshy blobs on the female trees.

Celtic mythology links the tree to both death and resurrection. This idea builds on the ancient Norse tradition of Yggdrasil, which in turn links back to the ancient world-wide stories of the Tree of Life or Tree of Knowledge.

References: https://www.ancient-yew.org/s.php/frequently-asked-questions/2/2 : https://www.hampshire-history.com/the-great-yew-of-selborne/:https://www.backyardnature.net/yew.htm

Autumn jewels

Blown into a deep gateway
Jewels of leaf fall
With gold: preceding winter.

Haiku and photo copyright Englepip ©

Sunlight through trees

Frost reigns in the wood
Until sunlight filters through
Raising our spirits.

Words and photos copyright Englepip©

Daily Prompt: Skewed

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Seeing things askew
Creates different points of view
Bringing insights new.

I wonder how many of us are stuck in our ways; only seeing the world through the common point of view, which suits ourselves. Taking a ‘skewed’ perspective can be positive. It makes for a new look at the world as we know it and we can begin to discover things we weren’t aware were there. Have you ever looked at something and suggested to a child, “Look at that,” while seeing something which is obvious to us, only to discover that the child only noticed the insect in the grass or the dog at a person’s feet?. Is the child’s vision a skewed vision? Is it any less valid than our own? Are our skills of observation so blinkered, that we forget to look further than the obvious?

Words and photo copyright Englepip©

via Daily Prompt: Skewed

Jane Austen

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Dear Jane unbeknownst
A mentor across the years
Textbook how its done.

No one could deny that Jane Austen showed how to write a Victorian novel; something that would appeal to the bored middle class women with time on their hands and a longing for a romance. Testament to her success we are still making films based on her books and they are regarded as ‘must’ studies.

This is a photo of Jane’s statue in Basingstoke, which was her nearest town in her early years when her father was rector at the village of Steventon.

Photo and words copyright Englepip©

via Daily Prompt: Mentor

Daily Prompt: The Groyne

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Chord changer of waves

Land to sea harmoniser

The ocean’s fret board.

This is a rather steely picture of the sea along the Norfolk coast where the groynes extend far into the sea to stop the erosion. It reminded me of a guitar fret board!

Words and photo copyright Englepip©

via Daily Prompt: Fret