stories and poems.

Close Range Coulport – poem by Finola Scott

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Finola Scott, will be performing alongside other poets, Hugh McMillan, Stuart Paterson and Chrys Salt at Peace Poetry Night – a Burns Night Fundraiser for Nuclear Disarmament.  Host: Gerry Loose. Thursday 25 January, 2024 at The Renfield Centre Glasgow Book tickets

Read the full article: Close Range Coulport – poem by Finola Scott

Home Grown In Glasgow – a poem for International Women’s Day by Ruby McCann

Home Grown In Glasgow I am woman  a sister of Glasgow a pale skinned, freckled-faced Scot a she-child fae the sou’ side a native Glaswegian Mither Glasgow shaped me   I am a child of many born into this city I am Pict, I am Celt I am Irish, Scottish, and Glaswegian a city born, […]

Read the full article: Home Grown In Glasgow – a poem for International Women’s Day by Ruby McCann

Tuesday, March 7, 2023 | Filed under: International Womens Day, Poetry, stories and poems, Writing

A Road Runs Through It by Frankie Gault

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A short story of hope, hardship and heartbreak… Charlie opened the kitchen door, Michael c’mon son, that’s half seven, yer breakfasts ready and you’ve work tae go tay.  Marie put her cup on the table Ah wish ye widny call it work when ye know fine well it isny.      So ye’ll no be […]

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Tuesday, May 31, 2022 | Filed under: stories and poems, Writing

The Wanderlust Women – three poems

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Poems from the Wanderlust Women, Lesley Benzie, Donna Campbell and Linda Jackson.   Recently performed on their trip to Tuscany. At Dieppe Lesley Benzie At Dieppe the ferry approached the same pale cream cliffs that we left ahin in Newhaven. A remnant that we were once o the same landmass afore risin sea levels an a […]

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Poetry by Maryam Raza

Maryam Raza

Teetering steps turn to tenacious strides. Wavering buds bloomed into matchless flowers The gruff morphed to poise Whilst the sturdy attained unsurmountable strength. Sweltering summer rooms, a furnace moulding gold. A world of glamour deeply layered with intellect, Eternal memories etched, a treasure box that unlocked coveted opportunities. Spiralling laughters echo forever. The towering trees […]

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Thursday, May 12, 2022 | Filed under: stories and poems, Writing

A Scottish Soldier Foresees His Death by Frankie Gault

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Frankie Gault’s version of the WB Yeats poem ‘An Irish Airman Foresees His Death’ (contains swearing) Ah wis nineteen when ah joined the British Army. It wis the first time ah had made a decision for, aboot, and by masel. In the late seventies, a hectic housing scheme in the West of Scotland didny appear […]

Read the full article: A Scottish Soldier Foresees His Death by Frankie Gault

Tuesday, May 3, 2022 | Filed under: stories and poems, Writing

The Carrbridge Rose – Brian Whittingham

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A poem about love: THE CARRBRIDGE ROSE The Packhorse Bridge arches its back like a grey stone rainbow over the hard flowing river hurtling past banks of snowy ice. We explore chatting holding hands ever so slight as if young love though we are not. Our pasts ensure we tread warily. Not knowing where these […]

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Poetry for Valentine’s Day by Donna Campbell

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(Image by Raluca Stoiciu from Pixabay ) Wish you were Here (Paris was built for Lovers) Today I wondered down the banks of the Seine, passed couples chaining love locks inscribed with their name and the date of when they first met before throwing the key into the water so no other could unlock the bond between […]

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Shaking Hands With Christmas – Brian Whittingham

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The Quilt and The Book, Christmas Day The Ball and The Boots, Boxing Day A Christmas Trilogy THE FIRE AND THE TREE Christmas-Eve. Mum cleaned the grate of yesterday’s fireplace replenished it with crumpled newspaper, kindling, adding course-coal she lit, gently puffing her cheeks, blowing to fan the new-born flame. She’d stand the coal-shovel against […]

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The Fortune Teller by Pat Byrne

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‘it’s me. Colin. Let me in.’ Her brother nearly fell on top of her as Cora opened the door. ‘What’s up?’ She caught his arm as he staggered. ’Looks worse…that’s his, no mine.’ He patted his bloodstained shirt. ’My God. Look at the state of you.’ She helped him to the couch. One eye was […]

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Old Coppers – short story by Lynne Maclagan

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I loved Nan’s at weekends. Matthew is her friend and he’d come over for supper. Then we’d play cards. Only one game, then bed. No messing. And a promise that he might still be there in the morning. He flicked his ash into the fireplace, the grey flecks disappeared amongst the coals. They drank whisky […]

Read the full article: Old Coppers – short story by Lynne Maclagan

Sunday, August 8, 2021 | Filed under: stories and poems

Nursat Fatah Ali Praises Muhammad pbuh – Rizwan Akhtar

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New poem by Rizwan Akhtar – May, 2021 Nursat Fatah Ali Praises Muhammad pbuh Oh! Muhamamd wearing the black robe no one like you a sacred angst makes listeners agape in-between notes silence becomes a saintly chamber the maestro conducts a wedding of tabla and Vedder’s guitar in a French priory and parks this Pavarotti […]

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Tuesday, May 11, 2021 | Filed under: Rizwan Akhtar – Poet, stories and poems

Ghazal: Soul’s Food – Rizwan Akhtar

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Ghazal: Soul’s Food In love fever/separation kills. Finding her/would ease the burning. Ibn Arabi   The last Apostle said about his first spouse “Khadijah is my soul’s food” this could be a word a Lover cares to say to his Beloved for soul’s food.   Those who are distracted by ways of the world need […]

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Wednesday, April 28, 2021 | Filed under: Pat's Home Page Blog, Poetry, Rizwan Akhtar – Poet, stories and poems, Writing

Poetry by Hafsah Bashir

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Hafsah Bashir – Author, Poet and Social Counsellor Rain in NewYork  It rains in NewYork  and all I crave is the scent of soil I hold the dirt and smell fruit and fortune rich and fertile it is corporeal in texture earthly in odor doesn’t smell like soil ships me aback to the dirt, I […]

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Thursday, January 7, 2021 | Filed under: Poetry, stories and poems

Tak Tent (Take Care) Christmas video – Janet Crawford

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‘A wee Christmas wish…take care and all the best for 2021’ Janet Crawford Janet Crawford is a Falkirk based writer. ‘I write about the stuff I see, the issues that get to me and those which make my heart soar.’ Janet Crawford on Twitter

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Ice on Loch Lomond a poem by Catriona Malan

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(Photograph by Mike Taylor) That was the winter the loch froze over stealing reflections from the hills, and laying its pale shawl on their shoulders. Islands, feeling they were trapped, huddled sullen in the cold as the wind shaved the bracken of their skin. But the postman skated that squeaking plain sensing, beneath his blades, […]

Read the full article: Ice on Loch Lomond a poem by Catriona Malan

Reunion – a poem by Rizwan Akhtar

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Reunion And was at a distance of two bow lengths or nearer. Al Quran cows moo a big bloke honks their lazy mounds of bodies school boys tear sugar canes under a rusty pump a bearded man performs ablution like that heroine of Punjabi romance clanking bangles eyes crammed with mascara a village girl skips […]

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Saturday, November 21, 2020 | Filed under: Rizwan Akhtar – Poet, stories and poems, Writing

Wash a poem by Nina Quigley

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WASH When I go downstairs you’re standing at the sink wrestling an unruly yellow plastic basin that keeps bobbing up, sticking it’s face over the neatly dumped, sausage-like, foetus-like twists of wrung-out clothes on the stainless steel draining board that are crowding out the blue china willow pattern mugs tilted, hugging the rim and the […]

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Thursday, September 17, 2020 | Filed under: stories and poems, Writing

Poetry: Love’s Noise by Rizwan Akhtar

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Love’s Noise The riveting sound of a grass aerator spills over the dark passage hypnotic after a chair squeaked through wind outside the man bent frantically levels the weeded patches some are too thick like moments cast by random reaching unaware that interceptions are natural a woodpecker knocked and afterwards the phone burred craving hands […]

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| Filed under: stories and poems, Writing

Ghazal: the phone – poem by Rizwan Akhtar

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Ghazal: the phone –for Tammara Claire Pacing up and down you looked so calm holding the phone Aren’t we connected? So, why this fuss about the phone? Eunuchs inside harems giggle running errands for lovers Now they text and delete; amor changed with the phone my ghazals are messages wrapped in all kinds of rhymes […]

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Tuesday, June 16, 2020 | Filed under: Poetry, Rizwan Akhtar – Poet, stories and poems

Corona Virus Stew – poem by Leela Soma

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FiveRings at English Wikipedia / CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0) Recipe May 2020  Ingredients: Shopping list flour, toilet rolls, food, food, Stock pile, no space, greed, look after number 1 Stay home, save lives, save the NHS Watch TV, social distance at 2 metres, daily update Ventilators, nightingale hospital, PPE Care home deaths, scientists graphs, flatten the […]

Read the full article: Corona Virus Stew – poem by Leela Soma

Baked With Love – a poem by Leela Soma

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Baked with Love An eighteenth century recipe handed down with an intriguing tale of passion, incarceration in a tiger’s cage. A bloody vengeful murder of Khani Begum the fair young lover of Aga Bakar by Jainul. Devastated by her death the young master baker Came up with a recipe for Bakharkhani bread, a tribute to […]

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Wednesday, April 22, 2020 | Filed under: Leela Soma writing and blogging, stories and poems

Some Wintertime Poems by Finola Scott

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Darkening So the Darkness approaches, I could talk of                                    enveloping black                                    the rip and reveal of the veil                                    stripped […]

Read the full article: Some Wintertime Poems by Finola Scott

Three New Poems by Rizwan Akhtar

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Ghazal: in the Rain for Ellen Mansfield What drove you to get yourself wet in the rain Perhaps a project long pending, only in the rain See your body curving & splashing for targets Not me but those slanting arrows in the rain Oh! like a strain the dress stuck to your flesh limbs expressed […]

Read the full article: Three New Poems by Rizwan Akhtar

Tuesday, December 3, 2019 | Filed under: stories and poems, Writing

Town Hall Meeting U.S.A. Leela Soma

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Town Hall Meeting I attended  my first Town Hall meeting in USA. As Boris Johnson is creating chaos in the ‘Mother of Parliaments’ I was curious to see how invested our cousins over the pond were in politics, especially in these politically polarised times. Well I was in for a treat. Not a Maga hat […]

Read the full article: Town Hall Meeting U.S.A. Leela Soma

Friday, September 6, 2019 | Filed under: Leela Soma writing and blogging, stories and poems

Two poems by Finola Scott: ‘Garlic’ and ‘Rhubarb’

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(Image: Olga Oginskaya) In the iron-dark shop piled with companions it’s functional mottled  white on white    waiting contained    wrapped in disguise Beneath gauze veils    folded in parchment  it parcels itself cloaks taste    holds secrets a cupped palm’s width of flavour home on my worktop it casts wing-thin skins &   explodes Finola […]

Read the full article: Two poems by Finola Scott: ‘Garlic’ and ‘Rhubarb’

Thursday, May 16, 2019 | Filed under: stories and poems, Sweet or sharp summer stories and poems, writers

Flowers – poems by Leela Soma

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Jewels of summer A glance from the car at the traffic light My eyes widen at the jewel strewn scene Purple and white crocus, narcissi bright Like amethysts and diamonds that shine. Green grass with moist sun-touched dew Like glitter sparkling, under the bare tree. A north wind whips gusts strong The infant buds defiant, […]

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I Deserve This – a poem for Christmas by Calum Maclean

The talented Glasgow poet Calum Maclean reveals his thoughts on Christmas. I Deserve This I must’ve been the architect of some outrageous larceny, my henchmen thieving priceless jewels delivered to me personally. Presumably, I used that swag to fund an act of treachery, facilitated shady deals, created instability, ensured elections swung my way, indulged in […]

Read the full article: I Deserve This – a poem for Christmas by Calum Maclean

Goldie by Pat Byrne

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There’s a small glen not far from our house. On a good day I go up there to read my paper. It’s quiet in the mornings apart from the odd person out walking their dog. Sometimes I sit for a while and watch the rabbits or maybe a fox – there tends to be more […]

Read the full article: Goldie by Pat Byrne

Wednesday, December 26, 2018 | Filed under: Seasonal Stories and Poems by Glasgow Writers, stories and poems

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