Balgay Observatory

‘The speculatione and contemplatione of mennis ingyne culd neuyr consaue ane final determinatione of the soune, mune, and of the sternis.’ (The Complaynt of Scotlande)

1
Eh sclimmed up tae the Observatory
whaur deid warlds cast their licht
tae see as Eh saw as a bairn -
it wiz an unca sicht.

Cauld an clear the newlin year
revealed its starnies’ roles:
Watland Streit oor waashin line
Polaris oor greenie pole.

Saturn’s rise upon the Mune
by ring and rim till haill;
the dunt in Phobos’ cranium 
Venus’s thick haar veil.

Same cast as aye in different sky
while here, nae cosmonauts,
we gashie-gabbit players trace
the same lang-chauvit plots.

Iver pairtin, rarely meetin 
nithin certain, aathin fleetin.



2
In Wedderburn’s rare monolog 
the scheiphirde telt us hou
aa stars stud but a single sphere -
it isnae like that nou.

Clear an cauld sees licht sae auld
it’s deid afore ye’re born
still cast its influence until
lang eftir oor last morn.

In Thomas Dick’s cosmography
(his science telt him so)
nocht’s oarrie: aa’s glory, and sae Balgay
is oor Purgatorio.

Sae, streikit on the ecliptic, 
lyk a constellation,
castin his innocent blicht Eh saw 
meh granny’s stillborn son.

While ane bleeds then aa are beaten;
ane for grief means aa for greetin.