Scotia Extremis by Andy Jackson and Brian Johnstone sampler

the saltire ~ the lion rampant
Few flags could be as contrasting as the national and the royal flags of Scotland.
While the Lion Rampant is officially restricted to use by officers of state, the
Saltire is flown in numerous public places and sported by revellers worldwide.
The Saltire
Stour has settled in the camphor grooves
of my grandmother’s old kist.
I prise the sprung padlock from its moorings,
reveal many years of hoarding,
indulge in what my mother called a reenge,
unearthing objects long forgotten.
The conch shell with the sea trapped in its ears,
a rain-stick purchased after too much wine,
sepia snaps of relatives, all gone.
And in an unfamiliar cardboard box,
I find what I’ve been searching for;
a startling blue and white St Andrews cross,
the scent of jute and resin in its folds.
I feel the warp and weft of it in my hands
and as the dark creeps in to fill your empty shoes,
I’m minded of the promise I made you.
The day will dawn, the flag unfurled. I pause,
reflect on the alchemy of memory and love.
Lydia Robb
14
the saltire ~ the lion rampant