In our element

Tamnavuilin on my breath, I hope you’ll forgive me
As I describe heaven on earth, sharing my experience and story
Coming off the Corran Ferry, arriving at Ardgour
This place has a mystical, magical and childlike allure

Down a one track road, views verging on prehistoric
A key component of the worlds most accurate clock, a fitting pneumonic
A village named after an important element of the periodic table
It never disappoints, living up to that well known famous fable

As I’m writing this poem the masked captain MacGregor, our Zorro
Has just burst the net, delivered a stormer, and some Dundonian sorrow
Could Postecoglou deliver the treble in his first season?
A forward thinking appointment, its not without reason

Now back to the writing task that’s at hand
Describing one of the most beautiful places in the land
A sunset with the depth of the loch it reflects upon
So glorious it ignites the poetic heart with song

The Ariundle forest, densely thick with Atlantic oak trees
Giving you a modicum of protection from the tumultuous Atlantic breeze
If you’re adventurous enough to keep on pushing up and through
The Strontium mines you seek you’ll find, they existed long ago

In the magnificent shadow of the mighty Beinn Resipole
Punctuating the clouds with a dominant blue hole
A fascinating formation developing in the sky
A fundamental question, you ask yourself why?

From the first time we laid our eyes on Loch Sunart
This place captivated us, and forever captured our heart
Absolutely gutted when we found out about Westray
Someone bought it, lives there, and now we can’t stay

When we originally booked Staffa, no reason not to be optimistic
As it turned out, the location was deflatingly hilly, and horrific
But Jacqueline dug in, resolute and stoic as ever
Marcus Aurelias would have been proud, and agreed she was clever

I sought a solution, that would make things easier
Using my physical attributes to alleviate the pressure
A wee stoat down to the village, to the centre of town
To absorb the flow of the river, and see what was going down

Once the weekend passed, for a challenge we were more prepared
Into the depths of the Strontian woodlands we courageously dared
Into the café for the munch we missed out on, on Saturday
Their change in opening hours caught us out, a disappointing play

Absorbing ourselves in the ambience of the forest
A magical world forbidden and lost
Gargantuan tree roots big enough to form a cave
Deep enough to hide, and make you feel safe

Staring up towards a celestial sky like nothing I’d ever seen
Filled with stars, gleaming brightly like a terrestrial dream
The coarse weather grinds, some would say its malevolent
The splendour encasing us all around, the natural beauty is benevolent

A wee visit on the Tuesday from Pamela and Martin
Our maiden trip to the Ariundle centre, to have lunch, and tuck in
When they seen the hill to the cabin they were taken aback
A serpents tail climbing up a steep narrow track

The thing every day that seemed to grab the headlines
Was the sunset and the gradual disappearance of its shine
Took on so many different forms, so many similes to articulate her
One night she looked like molten lava was bubbling up through a crater

When the time to say goodbye painfully arrived
Just like our other visits, enough to make us cry
Made sure we took or customary bus stop selfie
Checking it over to make sure we both looked healthy

I’ll not say too much about our journey home
That’s the subject that I wrote about in another poem

The way home

Along the banks of loch. The sun reflecting on sunart 
A delectably delightful demonstrably natural work of art 
The driver was as friendly as he’d been on the way 
Making sure he wished us a pleasant onward day 
 
Left ourselves time for a munch and a coffee 
Little chance we’d miss the train, and soon we’d be offski 
She was reading grapes of wrath, from Steinbeck a classic 
I was reading the brothers k, quite simply fantastic 
 
We boarded the train, got ourselves settled 
Jacqueline facing the front, making sure not befuddled 
Within minutes views so majestic we were in awe 
The mighty Ben Nevis and her wee brother Aonoch Mor 
 
Trundling along in the shadow of the Nevis range 
See many tall peaks clustered together, it’s strange 
Up to Roy and Spean bridge, before heading to Corrour 
A stunning spectacle, emblazoned with visual rancour 
 
Across the desolate, unforgivable wilderness of the rannoch moor 
Last time my shoulders were bleeding and sore 
As four stages I tried to complete in two days 
Dreaming, fantasising and punching well above my meagre weight 
 
Down to Tyndrum, where the green Welly dwells 
A rest stop that prevented me falling into Dante’s hell 
Having passed bridge of orchy, and inveroran 
The weather was bright, and pleasant unlike stormin Norman 
 
At this point, it was still enjoyable and pleasant 
Despite the delay at Crianlarich, I knew I’d resent 
The tamnuvulin was finished when we reached gareloch 
A stunning triathlon bike course, which started at the loch 
 
Past the hated, loathed and despised naval base 
The remnants of an idiotic nuclear race 
The glen fruin hill gives a panoramic view 
Horrifically, terrifyingly nuclear submarines too 
 
Off towards Helensburgh, well known for its fishing 
Many years ago, I hooked PJs ear, I’m not kidding 
Thank God my uncle Tony was there to put it right 
PJs ear with a spinner hanging out gave me a terrible fright 
 
Dumbarton next up another town with a castle 
Nearly there now, the remainder of the journey free from hassle 
Half an hour playing about on the city perimeter 
Everything going to plan, we’d be home in time for dinner 
 
From here it was nothing more than a formality 
Only dalmuir to go before we arrived in the centrality 
A quick call to zed cars would have us on our way 
We canny be arsed waiting you better not delay 

The driver arrived quickly, not untypical for a Kenyan
Flabbergasting how seemingly fast they all run
On the way back Jacqueline spoke profoundly about African history
Putting up for display her intellectual wizardry

Home sweet home, always a wonderfully welcome sight
Absolutely knackered, I’d definitely sleep that night

Sunday sunrise

Some say the key to happiness is to lower expectations
The world overpromises, and underdelivers
Prejudice imprinted in our mind
Illusory visions of how it should be
Destroying the possibility of enjoying it as it is
In the uniqueness of the moment

It brings newness, and freshness, and life
It is a sign of waking, of being reborn
Infinite possibilities await
The only thing certain is that it is uncertain

A radiantly dense blanket, like quartz pink granite
Like a gift from the gods, if they exist
Deep blue, an ocean like expanse
Watching over us from above
The gates to heaven await
At the end of the Sunday Sunrise