At our U3A today I was introduced to a new poet, a Scottish poet Kathleen Jamie born in 1961, and in 1994 picked as one of the ‘new generation poets’. Some of her poems use quite a bit of Scots ( which I discovered is different from Gaelic and Celtic languages.) Listening to her reading her work on Youtube helps to appreciate her writing. Thanks to Betty who introduced our Poetry Appreciation Group to this new work.
I would like to share this small poem Landfall by Kathleen Jamie
Landfall
When we walk at the coast,
and notice, above the sea,
a single ragged swallow
veering towards the earth
and blossom scented breeze,
can we allow ourselves to fail?
It reminds me of that equisite poem The Death of The Bird by A.D. Hope beginning:
“For every bird there is this last migration;”
and my favourite story The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde
“Little swallow, little swallow will you stay with me one last night?”
I am sure both these references can be read on google and a wonderful experience will be had to find them.