Staffa
Igneous isle, Iona’s neighbour,
built ages past from black basalt
that cracked in columns on cooling.
Fingal found safe footing here
striding across the sea from Ireland.
Surging waves swell and sound,
coursing through the cavernous chasm
of octagonal pipes; nature’s ocean organ.
I watch dark water rush over wet
rock then recede, releasing
the sea’s unceasing foam songs.
built ages past from black basalt
that cracked in columns on cooling.
Fingal found safe footing here
striding across the sea from Ireland.
Surging waves swell and sound,
coursing through the cavernous chasm
of octagonal pipes; nature’s ocean organ.
I watch dark water rush over wet
rock then recede, releasing
the sea’s unceasing foam songs.
Staffa is an island of Scotland’s Inner Hebrides.
This poem is copyright (©) Kathryn Dove 2024
About the Writer
Kathryn Dove
Kathryn writes fiction and poetry for children. She enjoys the alchemy of poetry and seeing how a dash of imagination can transform ordinary life into something surprising and wonderful. She has lived in London and spent a summer working in a small village on the west coast of Scotland. Kathryn now lives with her family in Auckland, New Zealand.
