Enga mellom fjella

Stars above Loch Laomainn (Loch Lomand)

Stars above Loch Laomainn

         for one who has fallen in love with Scotland

Marcus shivered in the snow and cold
beneath the moonlit night that shone
upon Beinn Laomainn.

Rivers of milky light above reflected
on the silver waters of the Abhainn Chluaidh,
snaking calmly seabound.

He dreamt of rising through crisp air
slowly falling like star flakes, a glimmer
on Loch Laomainn.

Ghosts wrestled in his dreams of yesteryears,
of ancient warfare, swords, the call of pipes
o'er broken bracken.

Marcus heard the cries of madness, death and birth
from ancient crannogs and the heights
of Innis Mheadhran.

Awake, he swallowed lowland fear of heights
looked up to drink in galaxies and unknown space
older than Beinn Laomainn.

He prayed that someday he would find
his place among the stars reflected
in Loch Laomainn.

© 2009 Kåre Enga [165.439] 2009-02-09

I read an entry "Invalid Entry"  by marcushogan and told him he should write a poem ... then again, why not me! I wove a couple things he said, researched a bit on Wikipedia, used the Gaelige names instead of English (just "because" and because Marcus uses Gaelic in his blog and they fit the rhythm well.)

Research notes and links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Lomond [Beinn Laomainn]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inchmurrin [Innis Mheadhran, pronounced [vjaran]]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loch_Lomond [Loch Laomainn]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Clyde [Abhainn Chluaidh, pronounced [avɪɲˈxɫ̪uəj]]

"The loch contains approximately 60 islands, depending on the water level. Inchmurrin (Innis Mheadhran [Vyaran]), for example, is the largest island in a loch/lake in the British Isles. Inchmurrin was used as a mental asylum, and also unmarried pregnant women were sent here to give birth.

As in Loch Tay, several of the islands appear to be Crannogs, artificial islands built in prehistoric periods.

English travel writer, H.V. Morton wrote:

"What a large part of Loch Lomond's beauty is due to its islands, those beautiful green tangled islands, that lie like jewels upon its surface."

One of the loch's islands, Inchconnachan is home to a colony of wallaby.

Marcus suggests this musical link by Runrig: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzQ1pNfbe3Q&feature=related

blah blah blah:

Yeah, yeah, yeah ... had stuffed cabbage yesterday afternoon and sushi in the evening. But, I didn't feel well and went home. I have a dripping nose and sneeze a lot ... now, be truthful, which one of you gave this to me?

PLOGVILLE

I have a nice picture on top thanks to NOVAcatmando : "Plogville, plogs and ploggers" 

If you know of folks that mix poetry in their blog on a regular basis or have a "just poetry" plog, please email me.

Montana: 32º at noon
Glasgow: 36º at 19:00 GMT

11,877