by Sylvia Telfer
Highly Commended entry in the Energy Stories Competition, 2026.
The warld’s a ‘hoose o cairds’ an Iran War’s
aboot tae faw ony ‘trump’ caird plaistert
wi ‘reid button’ press tae lat loose the warst
warldwide meesery. But affshore turbines birl
wi Muin, spell ‘Ally is here’ in white blade
calligrafie, in rhythm hauf algorithm/hauf-readin
blowster by saut, greenin, an auld gods
in alloy skin risin frae clart tae gab in pulses
ingineers cry “interference”, bairns “A cuddie
braithin unnerwatter,” an fishers “Hertbeat
o auld hunger in steel learnin hert-peety, watter
learnin mindin”; a weet circuitrie wi hilltap
turbines, metal stirlins, reponin in slaw
blade lilt at the daw as River Clyde minds its
industrial pulse, M8 glowes reid tail‑licht river
braithin in metallic souchs in tuin wi brigs
chantin in steel vowels in a beat nae lane
algorithm mythic or tech fathoms
for ony disteenction the day auld-farrant.
A kintra hearkenin tae auld vices singin
wi brent-new ‘green tech’ aplomb.
A kintra wi naitural energie’s blades beatin in tuin
wi oor herts in a grene reset.
Energy Stories
Energy Stories is a funded pilot study in association with the University of Strathclyde, the University of Stirling and the University of Glasgow for the Scottish Research Alliance for Energy, Homes and Livelihoods (SRAEHL).