Denny Bradbury is currently putting the final touches to the sequel to her Anglo Saxon Story of Borvo. All will be revealed very soon, but she’s given us a sneak preview, in terms of a poem from the sequel.

We asked Denny to give us a brief description of the poem. She says it is ‘about Romans conquering the land, and then leaving both ruins and steel in the hearts of the native people. The Anglo Saxons would have then in their turn come along and taken the islands for themselves but the hurt of the Britons would have come down in poetry and song and become legend. The format of the poetry reflects the Anglo Saxon style.’

She talks of the pain of the original Roman conquest ‘they came and took and spoiled – our land and men beside’, before then talking of the strength of the Anglo Saxons taking the land. Denny notes how the Romans would have underestimated the Anglo Saxons ‘they did not consider – the people who before’.

She also writes of the strength that those left when the Romans departed had, despite the destruction of the country – ‘leaving ruins and a race/with steel inside their loins – determination in the jaw.’

They saw our blessed land – wanting it for their own
they said it was the end of earth – with only space beyond
our islands they are green – with food enough for all
but they did not consider – the people who before
them had gathered here – in peace and harmony
they came and took and spoiled – our land and men beside
now they have had to flee – good riddance to the tides
that bore them back to war – leaving ruins and a race
with steel inside their loins – determination in their jaw.