The Dew Stones

These stones are part of the Stanza Stones Poetry Trail. Six stones in all.
On a 50 mile trail from Marsden to Ilkley.
They were to celebrate the Olympics held in the UK in 2012
A collaboration between imove, Ilkley Literature Festival, Pennine Prospects, and Simon Armitage, a Marsden Poet, who wrote the poems.

They were the highlight of our walk today from Riddlesden, near Keighley, up to Rivock Edge forest, and back.
With wonderful views over the Aire Valley, on a beautiful Autumn day.

Each poem has water as the theme.

This one is called
Dew.

The tense stand -off
of summer's end,
the touchy fuse-wire
of parched grass,
tapers of bulrush and reed, any tree
a primed mortar of tinder,
one spark enough to trigger
a march on the moor
by ranks of flame,
Dew enters the field
under cover of night,
tending the weary and sapped,
lifting its thimble of drink
to the lips of a leaf,
to the stoats tongue,
trimming a length
of barbed-wire fence
with liquid gems, here
where bog-cotton
flags its surrender
or carries its torch
for the rain.

Then dawn, when sunrise
plants its fire-star
in each drop, ignites
each trembling eye.

Simon Armitage 2010.

More information about the stones
SEE HERE