this evokes memories of ancient woodland wells - the round words like old
stones

not sure about these lines:

rocking an unfriended bed.

Unfed,

'unfriended' feels clumsy, especially when followed by 'unfed' -
over-alliterated, IMHO. A more subtle introduction of 'unfed', casually
rhyming with the preceding line might be better.

Terri )O(

'They sentenced me to twenty years of boredom
for trying to change the system from within...' L COHEN


-----Original Message-----
From: The Pennine Poetry Works [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of
V. W.
Sent: 30 January 2003 19:42
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: New Sub: Lost Gods of England





OLD GODS OF ENGLAND

They wait
in the watery places,
unwarmed
under the cool stillness of lichens,
voiceless in their shady world.

Reeking
in their unripe damp.
Oozing where the rank weed moans,
heavy dull.

Forgotten
in the hushed lull of deep mouthed hollows,
where unclean currents suck and slop,
rocking an unfriended bed.

Unfed,
remembering greener days, they miss
the soft plash, the stealthy hiss
before this endless night.

Now, no votive offering
is drowned in light.
In the worlds bright.
In the April green,
in the dancing sun.

They do not come,
they do not come.


Ann Stockton