A Cairn for George Mackay Brown


5,000 years ago
            a stone
                 HURLED
from Vestafiold

§

it BROKE the upsurge
            of the Atlantic breakers

held aloof the raw salt wind
            at Skara Brae

dug into black earth
            held limpets       kelp
            became sepulchre and home
                 to fishermen and farmers

            the stone-mason
                 held sway     lorded the lode

coursed the dark labyrinth

            §

it FELL among brothers      sisters
            who danced in the round
with the Beltane sun
            and the two waters
            at Brodgar

            §

it CAPPED the skulls
            of the wintering dead
at Maeshowe

and scrawled upon its parchment
            the one thousand woes
                 of the dragon-feared
foreigners

            this sky-bound   up-turned drinking cup
loosening the throats
            of madmen        rune-makers
storm-laden tomb-pickers

            §

it BROKE the backs
            of the plough ox the women
            and taxed

                 the tillers of Birsay

            §

                 at Egilsay
it SHONE like a prayer mat
            in the rain

            when the earl's skull snapped
                 it broke
                 into two bowls of light

in Kirkwall stalls
the choirs glee
the Missa pro defunctus
            for Earl Magnus

that kinsmen
            might drink
            a star's blood

            §

end stopped in the kirkyard
                 beneath the green wave
                 at Warbeth

                 it came to rest
            STRONG
                 as the makar's

                 silence

 a.g.boobier