Silent, Standing Stones

Impressions on viewing Stonehenge

An image of Stonehenge.  Photographer: Rick Puetter, ©2012 Richard Puetter, all rights reserved.

 

Silent, standing stones

 

     …Stonehenge, what secrets do you still hide?...

 

Oh, silent, standing stones

What mystery hide you there?

What are the secrets of this henge

Of which we’re unaware?

 

In torrent or in sun

You never shirk or hide

You stand so strong--so straight and tall

Bold stance--undying pride!

 

Your stones came from afar

They are not native bred

Your lintels were both pinned and locked

By architects long dead

 

The central altar stone

Surrounded by its guards

A bluestone horseshoe, that comes first

Then sarsen horseshoe, scarred

 

Two circles, they come next

Again bluestone is first

Then come the larger sarsen stones

From circle now dispersed

 

Your outer trench held graves

Cremation ashes there

Was this a site of sanctity?

A place for gods and prayer?

 

And in light winter’s dust

What marvels you do show!

Your boulevards stretch out so long

Their ways traced out in snow

 

And all about the land

So many sites entwined

There are the walls at Durrington

The barrows at Lake Down

 

The Cursus, great and small

The barrows of the King

There is the henge that’s made of wood

And Robin Hood’s Ball’s rings

 

Oh, for a thousand years

Your people used these hills

Renewed your constant monument--

We feel that power still

 

And when we too have passed

Your stones will still stand strong

Oh, we’ll have no such testament--

Our names soon lost to song!

 

Oh, how we feel your stones!

And ‘though your people ‘ gone

We hear their voices still today

Each summer solstice dawn!

  

 

Two additional images of Stonehenge. Photographer: Rick Puetter.  ©2012 Richard Puetter, all rights reserved.

©2012 Richard Puetter

All rights reserved

 

 

Notes:

 

Stonehenge is thought to have been used as an active site from roughly 3000 BC to just after 2000 BC.  The site underwent many changes, from just a ditch with perhaps some timber poles, to a site with two distinct types of stones, the smaller bluestone uprights (this is a loose term referring to the blue stone of "foreign origin" at Stonehenge), and the sarsen stones (mostly of spotted Ordovician dolerite) that had horizontal, locking lintels on the outer circle and large Trilithons (two uprights and a pinned lintel, a horizontal stone bridging the upright stones) in the central horseshoe.

 

The whole area around Stonehenge is full of secondary structures.  And perhaps “secondary” is unfair since many are much larger than Stonehenge, such as the large Cursus (we have no idea of the purpose of this structure), and the walls at Durrington.  Stonehenge and the surrounding area is truly a remarkable spot, full of ancient artifices, a true archeological treasure that has only had the mere surface of it scratched.  What treasures are yet to be found?  We continue to find amazing new things that we wouldn’t have guessed to be possible, here, such as what appears to be a 30m deep well that would seem quite an impressive feat without the benefit of modern digging equipment.

Reviews

[emmajoy]

As ever and always you create not only a wonderful poem but a piece of history that's really, truly, enhanced by your words. You've added more than enough facts to make people curious, which as a proud English woman, means a great deal to me, thank you. Would have loved to walk with you as you felt the magic of Stonehenge.

'In torrent or in sun ~ You never shirk or hide ~ For you stand strong and straight and tall ~ Bold stance--undying pride!' .. that's such a grand description of the stones.

There was a time, even in my lifetime, members of the public could stand next to and touch the stones, but the powers that be have now decreed otherwise. Even Midsummer day's dawn rising is controlled.

Tis said that a shaft of light can also be seen passing into the main chambers of similar sites in Ireland, Wales and Scotland. A terrific amount of research has been done, is being done, about the inhabitants of such places. even to aliens being involved. The discussion and study continues, always will!

Many thanks for sharing such a wonderful experience, Rick.. your poem's grand.

[TrimarcoRansome]

Stone henge is a truly mystical place, fascinating by its structure and architecture of the time. I have spent many hours in this place, watching the solstice suns and writing beneath them. Wiltshire is the place I go for inspiration and it never fails me. This write touched me because of this, your words eloquently describe its foundational history and use over the ages, the wonderment of this ancient mystery. Thank you for sharing this, I really enjoyed reading it.
Helen

[Angi]

Seeing Stonehenge is on my bucket list. I have read quite a few books that have stone circles in them. Some people say they mark a portal to other realms in time. I don't know what they were built for, I just know there must be some kind of magic, there. Nicely done, Rick! Angi~

[Ravyne Hawke]

I've always been fascinated with Stonehenge and wondered its purpose. Thank you for giving homage to these incredible structures and for the Notes as well. Such a beautifully written piece.

[Brianna Brie]

This poem is original. It is not a topic seen much. I rather enjoy the thought of the tales these stones could tell if permitted to talk. As it appears you have given voice to them today. Well done!

[Relic]

You are extremely thorough in not only your poems but also in your notes. An excellent job.

[Nick.B]

This really makes us wonder, what was it's purpose there, does it have a meaning (aliens or humans, outer space or god's hand)....anyway, this piece was very good written, with and interesting detail, and with some good pictures...great job

[Red Brick Keshner]

Majestic poetry. Not to be trifled with. Thanks for sharing.

[icelandicblue]

Stonehenge is something that I have always been fascinated with. This is one of those mysteries that draws me to it to ponder and study. Your poem did a fabulous job weaving those mysteries throughout your descriptions. I know we are not done with our discoveries, but I am impatient, like you, for answers.

[Fabian G. Franklin]

I like a piece that educates as well as it entertains and you have done that smoothly here...just looking at the pictures gives me a creepy feeling...like aliens just landed on my lawn...there are more mysteries in heaven and earth than the mortal mind has dared to dream...great stuff Rick.

[Sheila Kline]

Rick!

It is the mysteries of the earth - of the land that in some way inspires me to think of the great mysteries of space to those who do not understand the physics and order of it all which would prove to us once we understood these concepts that they are not mysteries at all, but the result of an order in the universe.

So, to the mystery of Stonehenge and to those surrounding it which you mention in both your poem, and the footnotes which follow, if we were to step back in time to the era you speak of.......3,000 to about 2,000 BC and be a part of the building of these historical structures, what would they mean to us...at that time; why might they have been formed, and how? The questions you ask in your poem speak of this.

My humble opinion from what I have read, seen and heard leads me to believe that is was a site constructed to commemorate an event that was of great importance, to deliver a message to all those who gathered there - either to celebrate, or to worship, or to perhaps pray to their Gods. I have read that some of the stones were brought in from other places and placed there from lands that were enemies of the local region and that peace was perhaps reached, war ended and these stones were added to symbolize this new fellowship of souls - of lands joining together. This may explain why similar shafts of light are found in other countries. Were any of these lands part of those who joined with the ancient people of this place? The wood you speak of might have been purposely left to indicate the weakness of a people - wood is not as strong as stone, and was the material used for the original timbers, and left there to remind them of the weakness of the former ways, and times of war. I surmise further............ The form, the points where the sun shines through at certain times were perhaps a result of the recognition these people gave to the Heavenly bodies and might have felt their power was strongest when the sun was falling on them at those particular angles. How did they know this alignment - the result of the star gazers?

Are far as the circle of ashes, and possibility of cremation, I do think of perhaps bringing an offering as so many cultures have done, including sacrifices of religion performed in The Old Testament, according to The Law of God. Results of tests do show the deposit of human bones from the earliest days and that it was possibly originally built as a place for the dead because of this.

There are indeed many mysteries which may someday be revealed to us as we forge ahead with scientific evidence. I have seen videos surmising the way the stones may have been put into proper position (involving some kind of cantilever), and the method used was very simple, and could have been used by most anyone who understood the basic principles of alignment.

Of course, we do not have concrete answers to how and why of Stonehenge, and all are theories just as those concerning the celestial bodies were to those of generations before this - our day of understanding, how one may fly into the great depths of space.

Your poem is indeed interesting, and makes us think which is good! Your flow and form as always is "right-on".

I can only imagine what emotions must have been evoked to have stood there and to have listened to the winds of the past, to have stepped back in time with those who were the builders of such a magnificent and mysterious structure!

Best Regards,
Sheila