I Am A Man

I Am A Man

I am a man. I am a man who is fighting for his rights.

I fight for the rights of every man in my homeland.

And every woman and every child, and those who want none,

The apathetic who will be richer from my struggle.

I am the sun’s balm, and the blood that flows within us.

I am the breeze that caresses the rocks and stones,

Whispering chapter, verse, the stories of our ancestors.

I am the scriever and the dominie and the wisdom of ages,

The planter of barley and the harvester of fruit.

I am the protector, and the bringer of hope.

I am your reflection in the flinty peat pool.

I am forever vigilant, the passing shadow of the eagle

Gliding ghost-like across the frost at your feet.

And when I die I shall be the seed in the earth.

I am a man. I am a man who is fighting for his rights.

I am the thistle in the conscience of my oppressor.

I will not be ignored.

(c) Gareth – February 2021

Composed while lying in a hospital bed of the Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, and dedicated to the leadership of Alex Salmond who gave my nation the right to choose, and kindled justice in my belly.

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