It's been suggested elsewhere* that this thread is a place for wittering and one dimensional love-ins. I'm sad that the person who made those comments thinks as he does because it seems a great injustice to the many people who have contributed to Megalithic Poems over a period of one and a half years (and who I believe have both given to, and taken from, the thread some pleasure). It is an even greater injustice, of course, to the poets themselves - poets of the stature of Seamus Heaney and Ted Hughes, as well as lesser poets, who have put pen to paper on a theme so dear to our hearts.

The Past:

Megalithic Poems didn't actually start on TMA, it started on the Stones Mailing List a couple of years ago under the banner of Megalithic Poetry. I can't remember now where the idea came from or what the first poem was, but someone remarked back then that there probably wouldn't be many poems out there on a megalithic theme to collate - I tended to think likewise. We were both proved wrong. What has really surprised me is just how many poems there are about megaliths, the range of feelings they encompass and the time-span they cover.

The Present:

I don't own this thread, it is the offspring of all who have contributed to it, and as far as I know it is unique. If anyone owns it TMA does, and they can pull the plug on it anytime. If I could edit it I would, and the first thing I'd do would be to provide sub-headings so poems and poets could be found more easily. I tend not to comment too much on a poem someone sends in because, to be honest, I'm not qualified to do so. I always try to thank people who do contribute, however, and where possible encourage budding poets to continue writing.

The Future:

When Megalithic Poems first started on the Stones List I said something along the lines that if there was enough material out there it might one day lead to a book. I also made it clear that if a book did materialise I wasn't in it for personal reward and anything that the book did make would go towards a worthy heritage cause. At that time I didn't know about blogs so when I set up the Megalithic Poems blog it was an opportunity to experiment with illustrations to accompany the poems (a good many of those illustrations come from people who contribute to TMA and I'm constantly amazed by the generosity of those people in allowing their illustrations to be used). In other words, the blog is halfway between this thread and a book. Every time I think right, now is the time to get things going on the book, someone pops up with even more poems (thanks chris s, for your latest contributions) and I decide to let things run for a while longer. There are three other people who have expressed an interest in collaborating on producing a book on Megalithic Poems and when contributions finally do dry up I'll be calling on them to help out with pulling everything together - there's a lot of checking and editing to be done ;-) Meanwhile, I hope the TMA eds will allow this thread to run for a while longer and thank them for their patience so far.

LS

* http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/forum/?thread=36634&message=449054
http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/forum/?thread=36634&message=449075