Library Love

Awake and Waiting by Tom McBryde

This cluster of feelings is like a storm,

Flying around in a swarm,

I’m excited, but scared because I cant be tired,

Mum says- I need to sleep or I’ll be wired.

I need to just get a haud of ma feelings, ‘Cause I’m awake and I want to start squealing,

But I do feel like a wee daft rabbit,

I’m awfy worried that I’ll be crabbit.

In my comfy bed, nor hot nor cold, This is the day, I am told,

‘Stay sleeping, get rest

Youwe got to be on your very best’.

A day trip to Edinburgh is what its all about,

With my best pal, hope we dinnae get kicked out, Membership cards for our Dynamic Earth,

Upgraded, I’m hoping, for a whole year of mirth.

I’m lying here buzzing and going out of ma mind, Waiting for the clock to fast forward in time,

Wish I could master sleeping when excited,

But I cannae help it when my imagination is ignited.

Ma Maw will just have to deal,

I’m gonna be a wired, crazy, wee eel,

Or maybe a frog ribbiting and jumpy,

As long as I make sure I dinnae get grumpy.

Wonders of the Deep by Claudia Foster

What do you think about when ‘wonders of the deep’ comes to your mind? Tropical fish and sea plants? Underwater caves? Whales and sharks?

I have never seen those in my life. All I’ve seen is the bottom of my local swimming pool. Boring, right? But if you open your mind the bottom of a swimming pool can be just as interesting as the bottom of an ocean.

First of all, pay attention to what you see. You see people’s legs. Some long, some short and chubby like a toddler’s. Some hairy, some wizened. Some are thrashing and some are still.

You also see slightly sinister, smiling yellow and green toys lined up in neat little rows. And children diving in to grab them. One of them, a cross looking girl, gives me a funny look.

I see a boy of about four jump into the pool. He looks at me, grins and blows a raspberry before strong arms reach into the water and pluck him out.  

I swim across the tiled floor and then turn round and stare at the shimmering light as water floods my nose. Foam boards soar over my head like manta rays with bubbles on the bottom, blocking the light for a moment.

I’ll make do with these ‘wonders of the deep’ for now.

The Moon and the Sea by Stephanie Cameron

I see you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 4 weeks a month, and 12 months a year. It’s always been like this. Yet you can only see me half of that time. Sometimes, even less depending on the season. I hate it. I hate you not being able to see me as much as I see you. I cherrish every minute, every second you get to see me.

Although we don’t speak much, you’re great company. I love seeing you swish and swirl. Seeing you create beautiful patterns in the sand as you move in and out of the shore. I love it. I love every part of you and I always will. That’s the one thing about me that will never change. No matter the season or time, I will always love you, my dear.

I hate what they’ve done to you. Your beautiful blue waters are now a murky green. The coasts you’ve lived your life roaming now covered in litter and filth. The life inside you grows dimmer and dimmer each night. I can see from all the way up here my dear. I can see what they’ve done to you. I despise it. I despise their ways and how they take you for granted. They see you as nothing more than water they can throw their filth in, they do not see your true worth my dear. But I do. I can see you are so much more than what they treat you as. You always have been. You are the reason they are still alive. Yet they do not see it, my dear.

And I know I could and would treat you far better than them, my dear. And I swear with all my being if we weren’t miles upon miles apart, I’d treasure you. I’d force them to spend the rest of their lives cleaning your dirtied waters, clear the coasts of all the rubbish so you can roam them without worry again. I wouldn’t take you for granted. And I would be able to see you, and you’d be able to see me 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 4 weeks a month, and 12 months a year. But sadly, I cannot. And despite having all the wishing stars in the world up here non of them can grant me my true wish. My wish to be with you forever and always.

So, I will sit up here. Watching you swish and swirl. Watching you slowly and sadly grow lifeless. Waiting for night fall so you can see me. And we will watch each other. You’ll see me go down as the sun rises, and I’ll see you glow beautiful yellows and purples and pinks and reds. Hiding your murky green colour that they caused for a while. And maybe, one day, a star will grant me my wish.

My wish to be with you, my dear, my love. So I can cherish you like no one else ever has.