Still in Rothesay on the Isle of Bute this week and I’ve coincidently just come across a poem by my friend Paul Colvin called The River, written about the River Clyde, the very body of water I am currently looking out across.

The River

You surge along with such a force,

You burst your bonnie banks

Then tranquil as a summer breeze

You bless our hearts with thanks,

You have no destination

Your journey has no end

You’re always moving, never stop,

Not even for a friend.

Twisting, turning, rolling on,

Your strength it knows no bounds

Yet in graceful, melancholic mood

Your beauty still astounds.

You bask then tail off in the night

Like a silken silver band,

A ribbon wafting easily

Lighting up our midnight land

But you rise in all your glory

In the early morning mist

When your castles stand, salute you

And your trees bow for a kiss.

You’re no more than a stream in parts

But others, deep and wide

You’re the lifeblood of our city

You are my River Clyde.

Written by Paul Colvin

01/01/18