Interview with the Clooty Well, Munlochy 2 August 2018
Time was when they’d bring
their best circling sun-wise in houndstooths
silks dipped in my spring
tied to a nearby Ash with knotted prayer.
Left to rot
Pain forgot
Off the tether
Pain forever
Things were different then of course.
I mean we’re talking way back to the AD’s,
St Boniface, fairies.
Some even trusted me overnight with their babies.
Did it
does it work?
Do I think I can heal hurt?
According to TripAdvisor I’m a right state.
Barely a trickle emerging from the hillside.
Leafless branches creaking under the weight.
Problem is very few truly believe nowadays.
Others are so spooked
teeth get chipped on the tree roots.
And the stuff they offer
t-shirts, trainers, wigs, x-rays.
Synthetic crap that never decays.
Not that anyone dares remove or replace
just in case.
Helen Ross is a teacher of History in Glasgow. She has published in a range of academic and popular history magazines but has only recently started writing poetry.
