Borealis

Borealis

Charlie said you could see a galaxy from these cliffs,

and that it’s only place in Scotland that you can.

But you can hardly see a star in the skies above Macduff,

let alone an astral curtain or whatever he called it.

How could it even exist here, this is Scotland!

We’ve got old stones on Longman’s Hill,

broken paths down to fields of lazy cows and pebble beaches.

We’ve got three different ice cream places

and they’ve all got the same postcards!

This is no place for a galaxy or a star god.

 

Plus Macduff’s the foggiest place I know!

Why would a star stream fall on so dense a fog,

were we not supposed to see it?

Or is it a show only for the fisherman on their little jetties,

out on the sea at night.

 

He must be lying.

If it’s true why’d it pick Macduff.

This is no place for the so called ribbon dance of the stars,

there’s no star that can break a Macduff cloud anyway.

They’re thicker than pigs, they won’t be sliced

by crystal tissues I’m sure of it.

Especially not when they grow dark and swell over the cliffs,

that’s when they go dense with rain,

and only burst when they want to.

 

 

I went to the cliffs again this week but I couldn’t see it,

the weather was really bad and Ma told me not to come out.

I got to the cliffs at dusk but I wasn’t there long.

It made me feel so small,

with my feet hanging over the edge of the cliff.

The sea snapped at my heels,

while the clouds circled my head like vultures.

 

No this was no place for a star god.

Reviews

[duff]

Transported to the setting. The weather on your shoulders as you read along. It has a fairy tale/ fantasy feel to it. Nicely done