Skip to content

Scottish Poetry Library

Register/Sign in
Shopping Bag Shopping Bag
Bringing people and poems together
  • Home
  • Poetry
    • Poets
    • Poems
    • Makar – National Poet
      • Our Waking Breath: A Poem-letter from Scotland to Ukraine
      • A Woman’s A Woman
      • The story of the Makar – National Poet of Scotland
    • Best Scottish Poems
    • Spiorad an Àite
      Spirit of Place
    • The Trysting Thorns
    • Poetry Ambassadors
      Tosgairean na Bàrdachd
      • Poetry Commissions: Walter Scott 250
        Coimiseanan Bàrdachd: Walter Scott 250
      • Poetry Ambassadors 2021
    • Posters
    • Podcasts
  • Library
    • Become a borrower
    • Catalogue
    • Collections
    • Ask a librarian
    • Copyright enquiries
  • Learning
    • SQA set texts
    • Learning resources
    • Designing sensory poetry activities
    • Children’s poems in Scots
    • National Poetry Day archive
    • New to poetry?
    • Advice for poets
  • Events
    • What’s On
    • Meeting rooms and venue hire
    • Exhibitions
  • Shop
    • Poetry Highlights
    • Entropie Books
    • Stichill Marigold Press
    • Poems for Doctors, Nurses & Teachers
    • Scottish Poetry
    • Poetry Pamphlet Cards
    • Help
  • About us
    • Our story
    • Our people
    • Company Papers & Policies
    • Our projects
    • Our building
    • FAQs
    • Find us
  • Support us
    • Become a Friend
    • Donate
  • Blog
Shopping BagShopping Bag
Ask a librarian
  • Home
  • >
  • Poetry
  • >
  • Kathleen Jamie
  • >
  • What the Clyde said, after COP26
Donate Donate icon Ask a Librarian Ask a Librarian icon

What the Clyde said, after COP26

Kathleen Jamie

I keep the heid. I’m cool. 
If asked - but you never ask -
I’d answer in tongues 
hinting of linns, of Leven, 
Nethan, Kelvin, Cart -
but neutral, balancing
both banks equally as I flow...
Do I judge? I mind the hammer-swing, 
the welders’ flash, the heavy 
steel-built hulls I bore downstream
from my city, and maybe 
I was a blether-skite then,
a wee bit full of myself,
when we seemed gey near unstoppable...
But how can I stomach any more
of these storm rains? How can I 
slip quietly away to meet my lover,
the wide-armed Ocean, knowing 
I’m a poisoned chalice  
she must drain, drinking
everything you chuck away... 
So these days, I’m a listener, aye.
Think of me as a long level 
liquid ear gliding slowly by.  
I heard the world’s words,  
the pleas of peoples born 
where my ships once sailed,
I heard the beautiful promises...
and, sure, I’m a river, 
but I can take a side.
From this day, I’d rather keep afloat, 
like wee folded paper boats, 
the hopes of the young folk
chanting at my bank, 
fear in their spring-bright eyes
so hear this:
 	fail them, and I will rise.
			

Kathleen Jamie

Reproduced with permission of the author

Poem narrated by Eilidh Cormack

Tags:

21st century poems Best Scottish poems 2021 English Glasgow Scotland Scots scottish poems

About this poem

This poem was included in Best Scottish Poems 2021. Best Scottish Poems is an online publication, consisting of 20 poems chosen by a different editor each year, with comments by the editor and poets. It provides a personal overview of a year of Scottish poetry. The editor for 2021 was Hugh McMillan.

Editor’s note:

Here’s a poem engaging with a real issue head on, avoiding the polemic but making a point and remaining lyrical and surprising but at the same time highly accessible. People think poetry is an elite practice but also feel the historic need to use it to commemorate major events, to make maps of their own lives. The Makar is in a unique position among poets to be a major influencer as well as a stylist and ambassador for the world of poetry. I look forward to more powerful interventions like this one.

 

 

Listen

Share this
Facebook
Twitter
Email

Learn more

Best Scottish Poems 2021: English

edited by Hugh McMillan
Find out more

Kathleen Jamieb.1962

Kathleen Jamie is a poet, essayist and travel writer. She has been Professor of Poetry at the University of Stirling since 2010.
More about Kathleen Jamie

Events

Discover our poetry events at the library & online.
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 2022.
The Scottish Poetry Library is a registered charity (No. SCO23311).
City of Edinburgh logo Green Arts Initiative logo Creative Scotland logo
Scottish Poetry Library