Catherine Eunson worked hard behind the scenes during the recent Irish visit. And when she wasn’t cooking she was composing poetry – or taking pictures! So here’s another Island Voice – this one Orkney-born…
Greenfinch
Hopping along bright-eyed with my bonnie beak,
You stopped and you saw me
Through your kitchen window,
Me, the bird in the grass
Vibrant, like a Key lime envoy
With neat feathered edges, yellow and black,
Do you remember?
Yes, I remember,
I remember very vividly, yet
I forget the rest of that day,
And much of the next,
Though both contained plenty of goodness,
Industrious hours spent in the kitchen,
Chicken pie, apple crumble, carrots and cranachan hours,
Three soups, six gingerbreads, spuds and cheese scones.
All the Irish visitors were out walking
While I steamed, clattered, mixed and rolled,
Sometimes like a thing possessed,
All the while minutes dropped through the sieve,
It was over and done with in no time.
But the salmon pie was cooked through,
And didn’t they just love it?
So you were the herald, a éin bhig ghlais,
You were their leader,
That huge migratory flock of moments,
Those welcome winter visitors!
Slán abhaile, agus
Fad saoil agat!
Catherine Eunson, November 2014
