paperboats

ISSUE SEVEN: EDENS
Ross Crawford

Ross Crawford

the kingfisher

ye luikin at burds

heh aye

tell ye sumhin ah saw a kingfisher the ither day sittin oan a branch hingin ower the burn then in it plopped

aw amazin whurd ye see it

dye live aboot here aye

aye jist roon the corner

right its haird tae explain but dye ken millhall

ehm

its alang pike road then intae the fairm road keep gaun an thurs a big telephone mast

near the swan pond

thats oan yer left aye an then its jist afore ye git tae thunder bridge

aye thunder bridge ah ken whur ye are

right sae jist aff the cycle path thurs this wee bit wae trees an bushes next tae the burn thats whur ah saw it ah jist sat watchin him fur a while an then plop he disappeart

aw aye that bit ah saw goldfinches thair wance but ahd love tae see a kingfisher

peregrine falcons up at cambusbarron quarry ye seen them aye 

aw wow naw dont hink so

whit else whit else ye kin see sparrowhawks roon the carse up here

aye wan flew intae oor gairden wance an tuik a pigeon

kestrels anaw sumtimes an ye kin see thae red kites oot at doune

ye like the burds ae prey then

aye but ah quite like burds in general

aye me too

onywiy ah better be gittin oan

here thanks fur tellin me aboot the kingfisher ahll need tae check it oot

nae bother pal jist sittin thair he wis aye its no a bad wee place wuv goat

Ross Crawford

Ross Crawford is a scriever/writer from Ayrshire now based in Stirling. His prose and poetry in Scots and English have been widely published in magazines and journals. In 2024, he was the recipient of the Scottish Book Trust’s New Writers Award for Scots.

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