Skip to content

Scottish Poetry Library

Register/Sign in
Shopping Bag Shopping Bag
Bringing people and poems together
  • Home
  • COVID-19
    • Re-Opening FAQ
  • Poetry
    • Poems
    • Poets
    • Our National Poet
    • Podcasts
    • Best Scottish Poems
    • Poetry and Mindfulness
    • Champions 2020
    • Posters
    • Publishers
  • Library
    • Become a borrower
    • Catalogue
    • Collections
    • Ask a librarian
    • Copyright enquiries
  • Learning
    • National Poetry Day 2019
    • National Poetry Day archive
    • SQA set texts
    • Learning resources
    • New to poetry?
    • Advice for poets
  • Events
    • Calendar
    • Exhibitions
    • Venue hire
    • List an event
  • Shop
    • Scotland’s Makar
    • Poetry Pamphlet Cards
    • Pocket Poets
    • Scottish Poetry
    • Help
  • About us
    • Our story
    • Our people
    • Our projects
    • Jobs
    • Our building
    • FAQs
    • Find us
  • Support us
    • Become a Friend
    • Donate
    • Easy Fundraising
  • Blog
Shopping BagShopping Bag
Ask a librarian
  • Home
  • >
  • Poetry
  • >
  • Brian Johnstone
  • >
  • Dead Crows
Donate Donate icon Ask a Librarian Ask a Librarian icon

Dead Crows

Brian Johnstone

In a landscape
of perfect circles
(sheep fanks on the moor’s edge)
they beat as six black flags,
dead crows pinioned
on a wire.

Scaly jaws
clack open and leer
into the mist. Some wind
flaps their flesh and ruffles
their bones; so turn
in resurrection.

Cast down
to the earth, their eyes,
in sightless unison, forget
the sky and curse
the barbed wire’s cut.
Damp’s tears drop.

Dead nettles
in their crepe droop heads.
This autumn falls in grey
and black. On the moor
drifts of feathers speak
of some end.


Brian Johnstone

from The Lizard Silence (Scottish Cultural Press,1996)

Reproduced by permission of the author.

Tags:

birds crows Scotland Scottish Borders
Share this
Facebook
Twitter
Email

Learn more

Brian Johnstoneb.1950

Brian Johnstone is a poet, performer and literary events organiser.
More about Brian Johnstone

Podcasts

Our audio programme of poets, poems and news for you to listen to.
Listen Now

Events

Discover poetry events at the Scottish Poetry Library and beyond.
Find forthcoming Events
  • Newsletter signup
  • Accessibility
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
Scottish Poetry Library
5 Crichton's Close, Canongate
Edinburgh EH8 8DT
Tel: +44 (0)131 557 2876
© Scottish Poetry Library 2021.
The Scottish Poetry Library is a registered charity (No. SCO23311).
City of Edinburgh logo Green Arts Initiative logo Creative Scotland logo
By leaves we live

The Scottish Poetry Library is staffed weekdays from 10am – 2pm and is providing a limited service including postal loans and Click & Collect. For details, click COVID-19 in the menu bar above. Dismiss