Englyn 2

After attending an open meeting of the Edge Hill Poetry and Poetics Research Group at Edge Hill University, with guest speaker/reader, Ian Davidson, on December 5th, I discussed the merits and difficulties of the Welsh poetry form, the englyn. Ian, who is Welsh, agreed about the difficulty of writing the englyn. I have attempted, throughout the years to write englyn, with varying levels of success. Some of these englyns have appeared in the magazine Haiku Scotland and discussing the form with the editor, Frazer Henderson, we agreed that there is nothing wrong with deviating from the strict form! Below are two of my recent englyns.

Flash of Yellow

Wrapped for quick burial flash of yellow
on wing a lightness in death
lanes split swallows fly past
as if on guard and to guide


Summer's Arc of Sun

Red brick lit from light summer's arc – of sun
rook sat on chimney stack
peaceful gaze shattered by swallow's
fighter plane attack, rook shifts

(c) Andrew Taylor 2006