10 August 2020

Bymoragsmith

Morag Smith was inspired to write her poem “10th August 2020” after attending the recent Ghost Lights events in Edinburgh. “On the night we visited the lights, there was a lot of cloud,” Smith writes, “the east coast haar creating some spectacular effects.” Smith’s short stories and poetry have been published in several magazines and anthologies including New Writing Scotland, Poetry Ireland Review and Gutter. She is one of the Glasgow Mirrorball Clydebuilt Apprentice Poets for 2019- 20.

Beneath cobblestones plague pits grumble as lit up trams run empty through wet darkness of streets washed clean by a new wave.

On the roofs of silent halls and auditoriums, deserted esplanades, the ghosts’ eyes open. They write upon the sky remember this – millions

of raindrop souls caught in a glimmer of haar as auroras call to one another, dance, spin, circle and break then link arms; the constellations are invisible, beyond tonight there is only a candle’s flame on the Allee

Du Printemps, nightlights in the ICU, a cradle of beams to hold us.

The Scottish Poetry Library, 5 Crichton’s Close, Edinburgh EH8 8DT, has reopened with a reduced service; books can be borrowed through a ‘ Click and Collect’ service or free postal borrowing. For poetry enquiries, e- mail reception@ spl. org. uk or visit www. scottishpoetrylibrary. org. uk.