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  • mortality
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mortality

Love’s Last Suit

{ Poem }

Love, forget me when I’m gone,When the tree is overthrown,Let its place be digg’d and sownO’er with grass ;—when that is grown,The very place shall be unknown,So court I oblivion.So I charge thee, by our love,Love, forget me when I’m gone. Love of him that lies in clayOnly maketh life forlorn—Clouding o’er the new-born dayWith […]

The Road’s End - by Andrew Dodds

{ Poem }

Ower the hills by Lauderdale
/ The road swings lang and free;
/ And, eastart by Pencaitland,
/ It brings ye to the sea;
/ By Dalkeith and…

On a Birthday - by Marion Angus

{ Poem }

Time, why are you going so fast?
/ I like not furious paces.
/ Milestones glimmer and then are past,
/ …

As Time Draws Near - by Iain Crichton Smith

{ Poem }

As time draws near
/ the end of our days
/ and the plates fall
/
/ away from our knees,
/ let us not be…

Struidhealachd - by Meg Bateman

{ Poem }

Nuair a bhios mi air leabaidh a’ bhàis,
/ b’ fheàrr leam gun rachadh agam air a ràdh
/ gun do chosg a’bheatha gu…

End Matter - by Diana Hendry

{ Poem }

i. You’re at the postscript stage,* I read.
/ …

Timor mortis conturbat me - by Diana Hendry

{ Poem }

Will it give me six months warning
/ Or come when least expected?
/ Will I trip over it one morning
/ And find…

Heaven - by John M. Caie

{ Poem }

A croon, a harp, a bonnie sang,
/ Wi’ naething tae dee but tak’ wir ease,
/ An’ still-an’-on we’re loath tae gyang –…

Èigh Dheireannach - by Rody Gorman

{ Poem }

San Departure Lounge airson
/ Barraigh ‘s Beinn a’ Bhaghla,
/ Cailleach thapaidh leatha fhèin a’ feitheamh
/ Ris an èigh dheireannaich
/ Agus guth gu h-àrd ag…

The mechanisms of the gin - by Ian Abbot

{ Poem }

Sixteen teeth, set
/ in a lurid, iron smile.
/ Chained to the earth, anchored
/ into black soil, nonetheless
/ its everyday, simple grin sustains itself.
/
/ Its mouth…

The Scotswoman who married into the Home Counties - by Andrew Sclater

{ Poem }

Like tweed like pearls
/ like fire like wood
/ like loss like Listen with Mother with me
/
/ Like prayer like water
/ like a Scots laird’s…

The Poetry Reaper - by Graham Fulton

{ Poem }

sitting in The Scotia
/ after John McGarrigle who-
/ was-killed-in-The Clutha’s funeral,
/ wolfing
/ triangular tuna sandwiches
/ and listening to someone singing
/ We Shall Overcome
/ into a feedback microphone,…

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The Scottish Poetry Library is a registered charity (No. SCO23311).
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