birdlands

P O R T O B E L L O


Whilst on a meander

down the seaside,

a boy with no home suddenly asked,

'where dae' birds go tae die?'

All at once I was gladdened

by this ramstougar lad,

scant in every way

but for his heart.

Then, with swollen salty chafts

and crafty charcoal eyes, he

looked up tae the sky

then said,

why dae we no' see birds
fall from the sky when they die?