A Northerly Land - Book of
Poetry
Released on 2nd Dec 2013.
George Gunn is based in Caithness
where he lives and writes. Previously artistic director for The Grey Coast Theatre Company,
George now concentrates on his writing and teaching in Thurso. A well kent name in the north,
George was asked to produce some poetry for the Mackay Country project ‘Moving Times and Telling
Tales’ some of which appear in this book.
Given that to preview a book is to let you read
it (???!) we decided to put up 2 poems from the book here for you to read. We hope to have a
preview by way of George reading the poetry which we’ll also make available as a
download.
This book was also published in tandem with one of our other artist’s, Iain
Copeland, who was also asked to take part in the residency for Mackay Country and has produced a
new album featuring this work also entitled ‘A Northerly Land’. George has read 3 or 4 of his
poems for inclusion in collaborative pieces on the cd. We will be releasing the cd in the coming
months and there should be a preview put up soon for you to decide if you like it or
not!
If you buy the book you will receive an instant link by email for downloading a
pdf.
SEPTEMBER
(For PD)
When times are good
when there is butter in the
dish
& tatties in the pail
& the fish lies fresh & white
on the board by
the sink
this is when I see the pattern
in the stone
& the runes hanging
in the
West blown clouds
are all the instruction I need
to hear the birds in the birch
trees
to follow the ageless black paths
signalled in the curls of your hair
how you are
September & how you dance
HOMECOMING
The herring drifter skippers used to
use
Morven as their guide for home
surfing through the river-jaws
of Wick harbour in
the sepia years
before the war to end all wars
We spread our people like a net upon
the sea
& haul our history
from where the fish have gone
finding that poverty is
the absence of our own
& tyranny better organised than freedom
We see the horizon
& sail on
witness a man cut a way for his wife
through the Manitoba snow of eighteen
fifty-seven
“What” he asks “are the wages in Caithness now?”
Ohio, Virginia, Alberta, the
life
searched for – is it ever found?
“Tell the boys back in Bowermadden
the crop
in New Zealand is people!
I have always been making up my mind
to have a look home for a
little”
In Otago in eighteen ninety-four
Scotland was as close as the Moon
now the
wild geese return to firth & beach
we know our past came too soon
no people for
Scotland are out of reach