Shore Poets
Born in Glasgow and now Edinburgh-based, Nancy Somerville’s work has been published widely in magazines and anthologies. Her first poetry collection, Waiting for Zebras, was published by Red Squirrel Press ( Scotland) in 2008.
She is a member of the WEA Diggers Writers Group (www.yonkly.co.uk ). In 2004 she co-edited (with Stewart Conn) Goldfish Suppers, an illustrated poetry anthology for families with young children published by the City of Edinburgh Council.
Nancy took over from Christine De Luca as convenor of Shore Poets in February 2010.
Scotland/Alba
A Parliament reconvened,
both shadow and vigorous shoot
of its former self.
The old syzygy of the national psyche
lifts a finger in encouragement and warning
to those who stayed and exiles returning,
Darien survivors,
Marbella's Big Tam, Big Macs,
i-macs and Cape Breton pipers,
diaspora from New Zealand/Aotearoa,
and even Westminster.
Late September
and the graveyard trees
are still heavy
with the fruits of their year's labour,
swaying ponderously
in the wake of a balmy evening breeze.
A gap in the traffic
exposes the silence,
no bird-song,
no football voices,
just an expectant hush
as autumn holds its breath
gathering strength for
sap-scaring frost,
leaf-whipping gales,
the snow-ploughs of winter.
