Let the Baton Be a Bridge
Let the baton be a bridge
Nae man can whistle symphonies alone
Let the orchestra in, and soar
Send samaras Flying
Let the baton be a bridge
Between you and the truth of a tumbling tree
Into the wood, carve community Growing
Let the baton be a bridge
Over the River Overwhelm
Seek the silence’s gold and wade in
Wander the water Swimming
Let the baton be a bridge
Tread the knots and cleave to the canopy
Tell the trunk’s tale
Reaching outward Ringing
Let the baton be a bridge
Relay it Flourishing
Flying Growing Swimming Ringing
And remember: sport is just the beginning
About this poem
Poet’s Note:
Without its title, this poem contains 74 words: one for each of the nations and territories taking part in the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.
The title, Let the Baton Be a Bridge, is repeated at the beginning of each stanza, so the poem itself becomes a relay. Each repetition passes the baton on. The poem’s five stanzas also reflect the Commonwealth’s five regions: Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and the Americas, Europe and the Pacific.
The poem takes inspiration from the King’s Baton Relay, in which all 74 batons were made from the same Scottish ash tree before being carried across the Commonwealth and returning to Glasgow for the Opening Ceremony on 23 July 2026. That single tree, divided into 74 journeys, gives the poem its central image of connection.
The words “Flying”, “Growing”, “Swimming”, “Ringing” and “Flourishing” echo Glasgow too. The first four recall the bird, tree, fish and bell of the city’s Coat of Arms; the last recalls the motto, “Let Glasgow Flourish”. Gathered near the poem’s close, they bring the relay home to its host city.
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RJ Arkhipov
RJ Arkhipov is a Welsh-Scottish poet based in Leith. He has lived and studied in Paris, where he became immersed in the people, poetry and politics of the Ville-Lumière. Arkhipov’s debut collection of poems, Visceral: The Poetry of Blood...
