Cooling a Meal by the Outside Door

The late, great Scottish poet WS Graham would have been 100 on 19 November this year, and centenary celebrations are already in full swing. Last month saw the publication of a tribute volume, The

Caught Habits of Language (Donut Press, £15), edited by Rachael Boast, Andy Ching and Nathan Hamilton, and one of the featured poems was Niall Campbell’s “Cooling a Meal by the Outside Door”. On 14 June, the Scottish Poetry Library stages “Language is Where People Are: WS Graham at 100” (£12/£10), where several poets, including Boast, Jackie Kay and Alan Gillis, will read work by Graham and tributes too.

Two minutes to set things in order: this pale heat lifting from the bowl and the slight, noticeable lift of moisture from the rain-soaked ground

balanced with the sun falling and the leaf-fall from the guttering. Devotee of, what, if not small actions, I stir hear – and, my own good life running away with me, I pair things up: tree with moon, streaming clouds

with the child’s bowl – small works of love and his dim porch. The night sky opens and, here, the meal is cool; the meal is cool and, here, the night sky opens. You can find a copy of The Caught Habits of Language edited by Rachael Boast, Andy Ching and Nathan Hamilton at the Scottish Poetry Library, 5 Crichton’s Close, Edinburgh EH8 8DT. For poetry enquiries, e-mail reception@spl.org.uk or visit www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk