Further information
About the author
Kylie J Stevenson is a writer, reviewer, academic and member of the Magadalena Talks Back group. Her work has appeared in Axon and Landscapes online journals, Australian Book Review and Readings magazine. She began writing poetry in 2010 as part of her PhD studies on the river as a metaphor for the creativity of artists in academia.
Publication details
Volume 32, May 2015
The Women’s Stone Circle
At Stonehenge
The monoliths stand tall
Square their shoulders to the icy winds
Throw hard shadows on the thin grass.
These armoured knights at a round table
Occupy the tableland,
Cast stern brows across the sweet skies.
Hardy sacrificed Tess here,
Gave no solace to that love-torn lass,
And no solace is given now
To this woman, by this dark circle of stone.
Avebury is different.
Three circles, not one,
Circles within circles, arms enfolding.
Enclosure for all.
May-Day heathens in a Springtime dance,
The stones curve and sweep
Across wavy hillocks of breeze-rippled wheat.
Here, at the centre of the circles
A village welcomes with a snug hearth.
One line of stones meets the shelter of a barn
The respite not a broken thread at all.
They say the Avebury stones were set
To speak to each other,
So that sound would be reflected,
From one stone, to another,
Then another.
Here, this woman is clothed in warmth,
Heartened, sentinel strong.
She sees these circles of stone
Weave lines of voice and reflection,
Until the circles are knit with song
And the stones’ hearts are softened with story.
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University information
CRICOS Code: 00126G
