Heartshead Pike

By Matt Tuckey

Hartshead Pike, Oldham

Druid Sacrificial Ground

Beacon of the North

Standing tall, steadfast

One hundred and thirty-six

Years of brick and spire

A Hilltop icon,

bricked-up holes make facial shape

Victorian frown

A supreme vista,

On a clear day, Wales shines white

Like distant cloud banks

Unlike close cousins,

Saddleworth, Manchester, Lees

Smog and greenery.

Thin strip of copper

A lifeline for the structure,

Unphased by lightning.