Three Old Women
I’ve always wanted to go to Hampstead Heath. No, not because it’s the busiest gay cruising site in the UK, possibly the …
The Sparrowhawk is of shadows made
The Sparrowhawk is of shadows madeNo Earthly dust was used to bringThis death that on smoked wings arrivesAnd cracks the air open …
Grass of Parnassus
Scattered across the rough grass behind Rack Wick bay are delicate limpid flowers. They are Grass of Parnassus. It’s a plant of …
Childhood – a poem by Edwin Muir
I find Orcadian poet Edwin Muir’s poetry so rich in symbols, metaphors and similes that it’s a constant joy to discover poems …
The Late Swallow – a poem by Edwin Muir
Orcadian poet Edwin Muir is a favourite of mine. As I watched the Swallows at Einar I remembered his wonderful poem The …
‘The refugees born for a land unknown’ – a poem by Edwin Muir
‘I have fled through land and sea, blank land and sea,
Because my house is besieged by murderers
And I was wrecked in the ocean, crushed and swept,
Spilling salt angry tears on the salt waves,
The Horses – a poem by Edwin Muir
One of the first times I heard of Orkney was when I read Edwin Muir’s poetry. It was so strong, so vivid …
Being away from Orkney and Westray only makes the memories of being there more intense. Whilst I look forward to my next trip there, here’s a poem I wrote many years ago – the lines “And … → 6 November, 2010