Poem of the week: Lyrebird by Niall Campbell

A lyrebird is an Australian ground-bird, famed for its ability to imitate sounds: it can copy anything it hears, from dogs barking to a rifle firing to a burglar alarm

Traditionally, the lyre is associated with poets. Niall Campbell discovers a metaphor for poetry in the lyrebird’s song. Campbell, who grew up in the Western Isles of Scotland, won an Eric Gregory Award last year. “Lyrebird” comes from his recently published pamphlet After the Creel Fleet (Happenstance, £4.00). He also features in the Scottish Poetry Library’s online anthology Best Scottish Poems 2011.

Owner of no plainsong,

it had come too late

to the song-box

on the first day

the other birds

having emptied it.

What a heart, then

or what a damn fool

to hear the axe-fall,

the back-firing car,

a world break apart

and think to sing it.

You can borrow After the Creel Fleet from the Scottish Poetry Library, 5 Crichton’s Close, Edinburgh EH8 8DT. Tel: [phone], e-mail [email protected] or see www.spl.org.uk for details.