THE MIDGE

The Standing Stone

The standing stone on moor alone
For many a thousand years
Its importance once to whom
Still it is not clear.

Yes stone alone I talk to you
Your weather beaten column
Tell me your secrets of centuries past
Your purpose here on mother earth

Why were you selected form far away?
And erected where you stand today
Were you always on your own?
Or in the past stood other stones.

What did they chant when you stood erect?
What did they kill with knive to neck?
A sacrifice from them to you
Or merely an offering each Solstice new

You have outlasted forests great
Kings of men and heads of state
Many a bird has perched on you
The Hawk and Owl, Nightjar too.

Moor land and woodland they have changed
As man of the land has reclaimed
But worked around and left you tall
When superstitions on ears would fall

For with-in your stone once compounds clashed
And captured the birth of mother earth.
With powers form the cosmos of atoms old
Men have harvested and broke the mould

And unleash the power of nuclear war
To destruct this earth where we all fall
At the end of our days in this place
A headstone of the human race

And still on moor alone you stand
Outlasting more than mortal man
Who lie beneath stone and earth?
What is our purpose here on earth?

QUEEN OF THE INCHQUEEN OF THE INCH

A bronze Age cairn was discovered at Northpark and held the remains of what became known as "The Queen of the Inch", a 3500 year old woman decorated in a jet bead necklace and with a dagger. After the 3500 year old skeleton was carbondated it was returned to it's original tomb on Inchmarnock with a glass panel fitted to allow it to be seen.She was removed again for more study but is due to be returned soon we hope, after all she was a true Queen.
This short poem started out as a song but never got there so here it is in poem form.



A cist on Inchmarnock Isle
You lay three thousand years and more
To the east of you the Isle Of Bute
To the west the Kintyre shore

We know not much about you
We wish we knew more
Were you born on Mernocks Isle?
Or by another shore

Your time was early Bronze Age
What was your life like?
What family were you born to?
When your mother gave you life?

Where did you live when you were growing?
Where did you live your life?
Did you travel East or West?
Or even North or South

Did you marry a handsome man?
Or did a warrior take your hand
Did you settle in this place?
Or look to another land

Your cist with bones told us things
But none more so
Than that of your jet necklace
Lying on your cists floor

Of Whitby jet it was made
A treasure it was to you
Made from other necklaces
Much older than you

A mystery you have left for us
From the days of word of mouth
What connections did you have?
With traders from the south

The clues we have are so few
The Kingdom of Wessex we link you to
And further south did you go
To Brittany we will never know

You took your life of secrets with you
When buried long ago
For years you did rest in peace
Until we yearned to know

We hope someday you will rest again
And rest forever more
Upon your lovely island
In your cist near its shore

Rest again Queen of the Inch
Rest forever more
Your time again should be yours
Rest forever more.

The sun shines on a Lilly pond
On a bright summer day
The Lilies flowers open wide
Catching every ray.

These rays of gold from far away
Reach this distant pond
Millions of miles they’ve travelled
To bring summer warmth

The boatmen scurry in between
Lilies pads and stems
The dragonfly it flutters by
Or stops to rest its wings

The Coot with nest on Lilly pad
To house her treasured eggs
The Moorhen walks its way across
With light and gracious legs

The golden rays triumph again
The Lilies set their seeds
The Coot with chicks by her side
Hide amongst the weeds

The lilies flowers have all but gone
The Coot her chicks fled
As autumn days creep slowly in
And cool the golden rays

Soon the winter will arrive
It does so year by year
But lilies underneath the ice
They need not fear

For spring will come soon enough
And with it bring some warmth
To put an end to winters ice
On a Lilly pond

The lilies again show their stems
Their pads float on the water
Their flowers wait until golden rays
Again shine on the water

The train comes ta a shuddering stop
Maw gets up puts on her coat
Wake up yer dad hes been snoring
Since we left glesga this morning

Were doon the water fae the fair
Me Maw and Daddie
The rain is falling at Wemyss Bay
The steamer is nae running

Up the pier comes a big fat man
I think he likes the chippy
We have a broken gangway
Well fix it in a jiffy

Maw that was sare a cuff in the ear
Ive told yee no to laugh at folk
But Maw the man is so big
A think he wull sink the boat

Oh look there's the Station Bar
And a twinkle in Dad's eyes
No Malcom yell have nae mare
Its that whiskey a despise

All on board shouts the big fat man
So everyone can hear
Am just aboot tae laugh again
Oh yes my ear

On the steamer up on the deck
But the wind is blowin
The sky is grey the clouds are dark
And the rain is falling

I put ma fingers in ma ears
Dad tells a story
If he's told it wance he's told it twice
Aboot Rothesay in all its glory

I noo fed up Maws dane some knitting
Maw say's it will no be lang
I hope no maw why is that
Dads started singing a sang

When the mist creeps o'er the Cumbraes
And Arran peaks are gray,
And the great black hills, like sleepin' kings,
Sit grand roun' Rothesay Bay.

Ocht we all heard that a thousand times
I will sing it a thousand mare
As the steamer sterts ta slow down
And rests at Rothesay Pier

AWE THE FAIR

A dark night, knock at my door
A mother with a child so poor
Oh help me Janet help my child
He ate some flowers out in the wild

My help I will give to you
A child should feel no pain
But you must tell no one of this
Or I will burn in vain

Trust me Janet and trust my word
Now help me please o please you must
The night is late the sky is dark
In the corner sits her large black cat

Three sticks I place upon my fire
A pot of scented water
First a frog and then a toad and teeth from an Otter
A rabbit’s tail and sheep’s bone now I stir the water

Boil it must boil it must
Before the boy can drink it
It will make him sick tonight
Now make him swallow this Limpet

Oh Janet you know what you do
Of course of course of course I do
My mother showed me this and that
And taught me all she knew

They drowned my mother by the Kirk
When I was very young
They think they know what is right
But I know it is wrong

Now take your son and be gone
But do not speak to no one
Pay me two silver crowns
Your boy will be well in morning

The morning comes the boy is dead
Janet’s potions killed him
Who shall I tell who shall I tell
I need to tell someone

You took him to Janet Nicol
The drowned witches daughter
We plunged her once and plunged her twice
By the kirks cold water


Now I must go and get some men.
Before the hour is late
Before the court she will stand
But soon burn on the stake

I did not know what flowers he swallowed
If he swallowed any
My potions cure the young and old
And have cured many

It was not me that killed the boy
But you all condemn me
Just like you done unto my mother
May hell come and take you

The flames reach high at Gallows Craig
The glowing wood its embers sprays
But Janet is tied to the post
A welcome sight for all or most

At the churchyard the boy is buried
His mother home her ruined world
She looks out at her garden wild
Where days ago played her child

The garden flowers bloom so bright
But there is something not quite right
The one she used to watch and love
The one she calls her Foxglove

Still she is tormented
Her presence still is here
Still she weeps with broken heart
On Rothesay Castles stairs

It was but many years ago
She sat upon her stairs
Her voice so sweet her skin so soft
Daisies filled her hair

Father o father she did shout
From her window high
To the court yard below
And the towers so high.

I hear you my girl
I hear you my dear
I hear your voice so sweet
Her father would reply

I cannot come to see you now
The Norsemen have arrived
I must stay and fight them all
Or sure we all will die

Oh father Oh father watch your back
Her soft voice did reply
But a sword of steel from a Norsemans strike
Put an end to his reply.

You shall marry a Norseman
This day the Viking said
O no not I said Isobel
And plunged a dagger in her chest

She colapsed up on her stairs in pain
But still her heat raced strong
For I am Lady Isobel
This castle is where I belong

Now I am here year after year
Watching all of you.
The swans with sygnets
The visitors and the dungeons too

Be not afraid to come and see
Where I have lived long years
But watch yourself underfoot
When climbing the bloody stairs

Lady Isobel