My life as a heather-stalk
granted me the opportunity to hear
the sounds of people as they walked
across moorland, regardless of the fierceness of the weather.
Sometimes I’d even listen in a squall
to voices, wondering how they’d make their way
across the surface of a bog, whether they’d stumble,
stagger, fall, or stride firm and straight
upon a surface that sometimes sucked
sheep or cattle down within its depths.
I’d hope they pitched it right,
aware they might be forced to tug
my tight twists and turns
if they wished to clamber to their feet,
desperate to escape the blackness that surrounded them,
the endless density of peat.
Cover photo credit: Polly Pullar
Donald S Murray
Donald S Murray is from Ness, Isle of Lewis and now lives in Shetland. His most recent books have been Leaving Songs (Island Books Trust) and The Salt and the Flame (Saraband). Both are linked with Metagama; An Island Odyssey which are part of a forthcoming album and musical tour. He is also responsible for Tales of a Cosmic Crofter which will be published by Seahorse Publications in the near future.