on not seeing the perseid meteor shower in Kelvingrove Park
I couldna keen
fu ta caa hit
but fan hit yit
i da gloamin
da neest licht
bi da sikkind staurn
I first mistowt o
as a high flyer
da green an rid spoingin
time an aboot
an I swear
I saa hit shiftin
trow spaes
but at da turnin
o time
hit still held
da sam spot
laek mesel
lain flat on da hillside
feelin da menagerie
o microscopic diners
nip an nibble dir fair share
an mair o me
an shaan dem nae mair care
as da constellations abön
shaaed me
an da haundfu
o felloo traivlirs
gaddird ta catch da end o simmir
an miss da meteor shooir
on which we hing
dis nocturnal communion.
Afore da best minded o wis
led da chairge back
tae da disparate bases
wir illusions
o stability is biggit on
I saa da maas
uplit i da park
bi da bandstand rig
sheen dir owerheid forays
tae wis aneath
an faurdir up
da speedin white bellies
o night flights
at hed me windrin wha
an whaur fur
an why noo
an I hed nae annsirs
an didna miss dem
fur dir want.
Hit wis mair as choost comets
at fell apaert dat nytt
an as I fumbled
da first few lines
apö da stark blank back page
o mi paepirback Miłosz
hit wis mair as molehills
at camm tagiddir
feelin fur aa da wirld
laek sacriliege
an sacrament
fused an firin
as da heevins sing
da sam owld cheenj alive agien.
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 Christie on Instagram.