Louise Welsh: Love Letter To Europe

As part of this year's Edinburgh's Hogmanay celebrations, six Scottish writers have been invited to write '˜love letters to Europe'. Their words are being projected on to buildings around the capital until the end of the month. This week and next, as the Brexit negotiations enter a critical phase, we will be running the essays in full. Here, Louise Welsh explores some of the linguistic ties that bind us to the rest of Europe

Louise Welsh's Love Letter To Europe is projected onto the Tech Cube at Summerhall

This was not always an island

Storegga slid

a land-crash of water

waves whipped the sky

ripped people limb to surging limb

Prairies drowned

reindeers tumbled hoof-horn-horn-hoof

hunters slow-cartwheeled

spears lost

The North Sea settled-unsettled

and we became seafarers

bound by water

Islands are jigsaws of one nation

our skelf of land fits right in

Dear Europe

The words we share

are more than words

different accents

can still be understood

Kirche – Kerke - Kirk

Brenna – Bränn –Brænde – Brenne –

Burn

Skele - Skelly

Flytte – Flytta - Flit

Kjalta – Kilte – Kilta –Kilt

Corbeau – Corbie

Skaelm – Skellum

Ko - Coo

Gråta – Grate - Greetin

Bra - Braw

Assiette – Ashet

Facher – Fash

Tochter – Dochter

Doux – Douce

Støvsuger – Staubsauger – Stoor

Tertaine – Tartan

Hus – Hoose

Barn - Bairn