'Hopes planted and grown ...' Poet's Corner with Glasgow Women's Library!

Hello everyone and happy Book Week Scotland! This annual occasion celebrates all of our country's literary loveliness and I was honoured to have one of my poems shortlisted for this year's Bold Types prize at Glasgow Women's Library! Anyone who has browsed the poetry pages of my website (go on, you know you want to!) will know that my pieces The Clyde and Knowledge have previously won the contest, and I was so delighted to share my work once more. I didn't win the overall prize this time, but the evening showcase was still a fabulous night of hearing readings, sharing writing and meeting up with old friends and new amongst the beautiful books! The theme of Book Week 2019 is 'Blether', a wonderful Scots word suggesting chatter and relaxed conversation - I hope you love my interpretation below with the title (you guessed it!) Library! I know from my own library's customers that, sadly, there can be very little 'blethering' in some people's lives: for them, the library can represent their first or even only chance to have a conversation that day. Their voices are the ones that don't often get to be heard, and it was their experiences that I really wanted this poem to express.

It comes under ‘B’,

Classic non-fiction first.

Clasp my preloved Scots volume

Faded date stamp, fresh words.

Setting down my sole teacup

Chipped thin rim, cooling tea.

Shoulder last year’s wool coat

Warmth is outside for me.

Footsteps soft, reverential

To enter your home.

Gnarled oak shelves, leaf fine pages

Hopes planted and grown.