100,000

birch sapling curving
slightly twisting
out from the slope
rising and turning
in what might
be called a gesture
if a gesture can be
prolonged indefinitely


from The Hundred Thousand Places
published by Carcanet Press 2009

available from
www.carcanet.co.uk

On The Earth

Five polished stone axes were recovered this summer from the archaeological excavations at Braes of Ha'Breck on the island of Wyre in Orkney. These are in addition to hundreds of fragments of pottery, flint and stone tools making this one of the most significant domestic sites in Orkney from the Early Neolithic. For further information see www.orkney.uhi.ac.uk

A tee-shirt and photographic print, designed by Thomas A Clark for the archaeologists at Wyre, is available from braeprojects.com/shopsite