Poem No. 107

POEM TITLE DAYS OF GLORY

POEM A dark and brooding castle juts out into the Forth

Like an axe head, it cuts a wedge through the coast.

It speaks from the past of danger, menace,

Protection, watchfulness, defence.

Nearby lies only a quiet village, its pretty cottages

Bright with flowers and freshly painted window boxes.

On the beach, happy children play

And dainty yachts bob at anchor in the bay.

All looks picturesque, photogenic, neat,

Shimmering like a mirage in the Summer heat.

This douce impression conceals a mystery

For Blackness is a place with an illustrious history.

Five hundred years ago, Scotland's Kings knew Blackness well.

When Linlithgow housed the Royal Court

This village was its port, its royal larder.

Ships from France and Spain plied daily in and out of harbour,

Bringing fine foods and wines for the royal feast.

Silks and cloth of gold arrived via Venice from the East.

The Castle's mighty cannons there to deter raiders,

The streets rang to the cries of foreign traders.

These were its glory days. One above all, one day of glory

Gave Blackness a major role in Scotland's story.

In 1512 the Great Michael sailed billowing up the Firth,

Beneath the Castle walls to take its berth.

The Michael was the pride of Scotland and King James,

The greatest ship afloat, built to impress

And thumb its nose at Henry Tudor's puny Mary Rose.

The Margaret as well, two Great Ships, riding at anchor

There to welcome aboard the French Ambassador.

Townsfolk lined the pier, shouting for the King

And blazing torches lit the night. Aboard, feasting,

Music and dance. All to confirm the Auld Alliance.

With this agreement, sadly, James's fate was also sealed.

Soon Scotland's gallant King lay dead on Flodden Field.

Turmoil ensued with years of strife and plotting.

The Great Michael, sold cheaply, lay abandoned, rotting.

So are the fates of Kings and Commoners intertwined.

Along with Linlithgow, Blackness on Sea declined.

Today it has a new incarnation as an iconic tourist destination,

A backdrop for films and period dramas

Set in its century-spanning panoramas.

The village square no longer rings to horses' feet,

The rumble of carts, the sailors' brawling shouts

But people still need respite, good food, a place to meet.

An Inn has stood for centuries on this spot,

The old Linlithgow Arms is reinvented as the Lobster Pot.

And on the Forth no galleons bluster by, they're gone forever.

Now great cruise ships, the new Leviathans, steal silently up the river.