This is the story of the relationship between the Earth and her inhabitants, from the Big Bang to modern day. In the style of haibun, a sequence of prose and haiku, the tale is conveyed through a variety of voices that weave together science, philosophy, spirituality, history and environmental issues. At the heart of this story is Nicholai Steno, the father of geology. Born a Lutheran in Denmark, he embarked on a career in medicine that would take him to Florence as chief anatomist to the Medici court. It was here that he made his most significant discoveries, became an anatomist of the earth and determined the Four Principles of Stratigraphy, still used by geologists today. But the story does not end there…

Kriss Nichol has an MA in Creative Writing and her poetry and short stories have been published in various anthologies and small press magazines. Ancient Anchors is her fourth poetry pamphlet.