Poem of the Week

London to Edinburgh

I’m waiting for the moment

when the train crosses the Border

and home creeps closer

at seventy miles an hour.

I dismiss the last four days

and their friendly strangers

into the past

that grows bigger every minute.

The train sounds urgent as I am,

it says home and home and home.

I light a cigarette

and sit smiling in the corner.

Scotland, I rush towards you

into my future that,

every minute,

grows smaller and smaller.

By Norman Mac Caig

Norman Mac Caig was born in Edinburg, Scotland. He got acclamation in later phases of life and his writing style is simple and lucid. He wrote prolifically and didn’t believe in drafting, polishing and trimming his writings. A poet with only draft and it suited him it went on in his books otherwise dustbin was another place.

He said” often I write a poem in the morning and I almost forget it in the afternoon about it.”

He divided his life and poetry between Assynt Highlands and the city of Edinburg.

He wrote about the simplest things in simple words and divided them in deep depth. He wrote about frogs,sparrows, hills,the white bird, rabbit owls and also about the great patriotism of Scottish culture. I love his Assynt poems and his descriptive tones of common folks.

In his poem “London to Edinburgh Scottish” patriotism is tuned in a touching way.

A lyric poet of soft tunes!