vocal point
a deid man whispered itae mi lug
said ‘spaek tae me o da odds atween
da bonded amang wis aa an da free
an dem at’s left tae rot i da bog’
I said liberty fur da best paert seems
tae be a ruse at’s played agin
wis wi nae sway ower fu life fins
wis bi dem at can say wha haes means
an in da end wha can say whit’s real
an whit’s da wirkins o a brokken heid
at takks da kaes to God an Deil
alaek at whan you pu awa da rug
hit’s as good tae be livin an no be free
as be deid an still be whisprin in lugs
at da point o Skallawa
a’m come as faur
as a’ll win da day
fae da soupy haar
at’s scurryin ower da scord
ee step faurdir
an da tides an saat
wid gie me mair
as a barrafu o bills
tae care aboot
whit wir blinnd tae
‘ll ay be dere
an whan wir don
wi makkin hit trow da winters
da Green Holm
‘ll still rise
bidden or no
fae horizons speird
bi eens da laek o wis
an bi eens
at couldna draem
da laek o wis
da laek o wha
we couldna draem.
Christie Williamson is a Shaetlan poet, essayist and translator based in Glasgow where he helps run Tell it Slant Books. His debut pamphlet ‘Arc o Möns’ won the Calum MacDonald Memorial Award. Two full length collections of his work have been published by Luath Press – ‘Oo an Feddirs’ 2015 and ‘Doors tae Newye’ 2020. He has performed at StAnza, Aye Write and the Edinburgh International Book Festival as well as at Celtic Connections and international festivals in Aruba and Nicaragua. His work has been translated into Italian, Spanish, Breton, Estonian, Portuguese and Papiamento. He comes fae Yell. Connect with him on Instagram.