LINDSAY OLIVER, EDINBURGH POET

 

                                                                                  

                                                                          

                                           LIndsay, Goddess of my Dreams

                                                  She composes poetry while I sleep

                                                  In my dreams her words come through deep

                                                 The seagulls and the fairies too

                                                 And the humans who become gnomes

                                                 Out of the blue,

                                                  And the white eagles who around the Bass Rock fly,

                                                 While we survive in our isolations,

                                                  our minds are close.

                                                  While she understands mine, mine I don't.

                                                  Life has for me has become a crazy kaleidoscope

                                                  Of unexpected drama, and trauma beyond trauma;

                                                       Life for Lindsay remains serene.         

                                                                    LINDSAY'S WEBSITE

                                                          

                                                                      ABOUT LINDSAY

                                                                   LINDSAY AND FIONA

                                  WAKE UP MY SON, and further pre 2015 poems

                                                                            

                        TWO POEMS (SCOTTISH MOUNTEERING PRESS, March 2022)

I Thoucht the Warld Wid Fa
                  after Nan Shepherd¹

Fa will ging wi me ti Loch A’an?
Fa will tak me til ye Loch A’an?
Fa ken’s hoo
an his the gumption ti dig deep
an tak me til ye?

        (FIRST STANZA)

¹ Written in the form of a Golden Shovel, this poem is a response to Nan Shepherd’s ‘Loch Avon’ (In the Cairngorms 1934). This poetic form is created by writing down the last words from each line of a poem, in order, on the right-hand side of the page. The new lines should each end in a word from the original poem.

² From Nan Shepherd’s poem, ‘Fawn’ (In the Cairngorms 1934).

                                                                

Larch wood in early winter

Walk, at the turn of the year
through a larch wood
past lichen-clad sentinels
in a ragged unruly row  (FIRST STANZA)

                                LESSER THAN STONE (Youtube video)

                                COUNTING THE COST (Youtube video)

                                 NOT MY CHILD

                                 THE DEVIL SLAKES HIS THIRST

THE BLENDING OF THE THREE VINTAGE CHURCHES by Tom Leonard

                                       THE BLENDING OF THE THREE VINTAGE CHURCHES

                                                                      by Tom Leonard

                                                   

                                                                             

                     

                                      Can the three vintage churches on Embro's hilly slopes

                                      blend in truly Christian harmony?

                                      Can the post-colonialist traditions of George St,

                                      accommodate the local parish attitudes of Broughton,

                                      And community-based, interfaith Greenside?

                                      Only if the merger seeks to attract all manner of people

                                      to broaden our congregations,

                                      People whose Kingdom of Heaven is attained by 

                                       Human decency and deeds,

                                      Rather than the foolishness of faith alone,

                                      People dedicated to the purposeful pursuit of

                                       Giving help and integrity to all others,

                                      People who serve from the grass roots,

                                      Just like the Apostles did

                                      Rather than rule like the Pharisees and Romans,

                                                                          

                                      The All-Seeing One that lives in my head

                                      Proposes an ongoing vigorous debate

                                       Regarding the true nature of the Holy Trinity:

                                      The Living Entity that creates us,

                                      The Messiah that bonds us together,

                                       And the sentient spirit that moves among us.

                                       By this debate we will learn how to forgive,

                                       And how to handle the monsters within and around us.

                                       In achieving this merger we can then contribute fresh dignity 

                                       to the human race and nature around us.

     Notes for informal meeting on 1 May 2022:

          We're clearly looking to increase the number of people attending the three churches. As the churches are a bit diverse in nature, a debate between the congregations would be desirable as the merger materialises , this could consider future directions for the combined churches, together with the sorts of people we are aiming to attract most while seeking a way forward,

I personally think that we should try to attract the sorts of people who achieve their kingdom of heaven by human decency and helping others rather than over focussing on faith, those who proceed in the Holy Spirit without necessarily realising that they're doing so. I think that children should be encouraged to be spiritual and that religion should be described to them rather than prescribed,

9 May 2022 We've just been reading the minutes for a couple of General Assemblies. The Church clearly needs to change its entire outlook as a 'state institution'. 

                                       

TO LINDSAY: POET OF MY DREAMS

                                       TO LINDSAY, POET OF MY DREAMS

                                                          By Tom Leonard

                                                                                      

                                                She composes poetry while I sleep

                                                In my dreams her words come through deep

                                                 The seagulls and the fairies too

                                                 And the humans who become gnomes

                                                 Out of the blue,

                                                  And the white eagles who around the Bass Rock fly,

                                                 While we survive in our isolations,

                                                  our minds are close.

                                                  While she understands mine, mine I don't.

                                                  Life has for me has become a crazy kaleidoscope

                                                  Of unexpected drama, and trauma beyond trauma;

                                                   Life for Lindsay remains serene.

                                        

  

  

                                                                                    

                                        

                                                                                  

                                            Lindsay (wheelchair), pushed by her niece,

                                            Tom (red sweater)

                                             Marching against Racism and Fascism

                                             Leith Walk from Pilrig Park en route to Leith Links

                                             July 2016

   

MILITARY UNDERWATER TEST CENTRE AT KYLE OF LOCHALSH

       

                                                 Centre damages whales and local fishing                                                                   

       MILITARY HISTORY

                                                                               

                                                                               

      

 BUTEC

                                                                                   

        SECRET SCOTLAND

British Underwater Test and Evaluation Centre

(Redirected from BUTEC)

Road to range terminal building
© Dave Ferguson

The British Underwater Test and Evaluation Centre (BUTEC) has its headquarters and offices at Kyle of Localsh, which administers the ranges and installations at Sand to the north of Applecross, and on the northern part of the island of Rona. These facilities use the waters of the Inner Sound between the Isle of Skye and the Scottish mainland to carry out surface and underwater water range tests of weapons, equipment and vessels.

The centre and its associated ranges were established in the 1970s, to test and evaluate equipment for the Royal Navy and the Ministry of Defence (MoD), and was operated by the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) until parts of this organisation were privatised in 2001, when defence contractor QinetiQ took over the running of the centre.

The centre is co-located with the facilities of the Rona Noise Range.

The main jetty and storage facility for the testing ranges around the Inner Sound are sited at the Kyle of Lochalsh centre. An application to build an explosives storage facility at the site was granted planning permission in October 2002.

Range terminal buildings
© John Allan

The control centre in the range terminal building to the north manages the movement of both vessels on trial and support craft by radio.

The testing range is described a protected surface and underwater three dimensional tracking range measuring approximately 10 kilometres long, 4 kilometres wide, and having a depth which varies between 175 metres and 200 metres. Test subjects can be tracked in real time using differential GPS for surface and airborne tests, for up to 30 kilometres. The centre can declare an air danger area which covers the entire test range and the access route to shore facility if required, and extend from ground level to 1,500 feet. Weapons recovery can be carried out on the surface or the seabed, and the centre is equipped with both helicopter and ROV (remotely operated vehicle) services, with a helipad at the shore base and trial vessels provided by Serco Marine.

Testing can also be carried out off site, using a mobile three dimensional tracking range. Tested weapons do not carry live warheads.

The range is also equipped to carry out testing of sonobuoys - which are relatively small expendable sonar systems that can be dropped or ejected from aircraft or ships conducting anti-submarine warfare or underwater acoustic research. Minehunters from the UK and other countries also use the facility for trials and training.

Depending on the source referred to, the range is considered to be the bane of local fishermen, restricted from fishing in the area when tests are underway, and because their nets may snag underwater equipment, or they are reported to support the location of the facility, as the restricted access means the stocks are maintained and breeding is promoted, leading to more stock in in the surrounding water.

Testing of Low Frequency Active (LFA) sonar systems has resulted in controversy, with the systems being been blamed for the mass deaths of whales and dolphins. Tests on the British version of the system, known as sonar 2087, have taken place at BUTEC.^[1]

Such systems are used by the Royal Navy and US Navy to locate submerged submarines by bouncing high intensity sound waves from their hulls. Environmentalists claim evidence collected since the mid 1990s shows that use of this equipment results in mass stranding of whales, and that the beaching of and entire whale pod during an American sonar exercise in the Bahamas provided conclusive evidence of the effect.

The Royal Navy has stated that it has developed "a range of mitigation measures to minimise the impact of sonar fitted to surface warships", which includes the avoidance of known breeding areas, and discontinuing operation of the 2087 sonar in the presence of whales, dolphins, and other cetaceans.

Contents [hide]

2016 Range expansion proposals upset fishermen References External links Aerial views Map Comments

2016 Range expansion proposals upset fishermen

Proposals announced in 2016, to expand the existing 25 sq km range by a further 25 sq km, were not supported by local fishermen who claimed the change could lead older fishermen to leave, as their catch of langoustine prawns from the remaining area would become too small to produce viable earning, and that up to six boats could be lost. The MoD said: "The MoD economic impact assessment concluded that the impact on local fishing vessels will be limited. In addition, the MoD and industry are working very closely with the local fishing community to identify further mitigation measures.The proposed changes must be implemented to sustain jobs in the medium term and it is important to remember that the Raasay Ranges also bring considerable economic benefits to Scotland."Fishermen warn of lost income from expanded Raasay Ranges - BBC News Retrieved July 04, 2016.

References

1 ⇑ Landmark US sonar case over whales, The Herald, January 2, 2008.                   

POEMS FOR 2021 and 2022 by Tom Leonard

 

     

                                                                          

  AD 2022

    UKRAINIAN CHRIST-CHILD

    BRAVE MINISTER FROM SPOKANE

    BEGONIA OF BEGONA

    THE STREAM OF BEAUTIFUL BODIES

    WITHOUT GUILE

    ANDALUSIAN GIRL

   WHEN MY EYES FLUTTER

   THE BLENDING OF THE THREE VINTAGE CHURCHES  

  TO LINDSAY, POET OF MY DREAMS

  TRIAGE AT A AND E

  THE ALPHA-BUTCH WING FORWARD

  THE PRIMEVAL MONSTERS WITHIN

  DAME OPHELIA MOUNTSHAFT, COMPANION OF THE GARTER

  CARERS FROM AFAR

   WHEREWITH THE FOE?

   OUR BRAVE WORLD OF 2022

  AD 2021

  AARON

  SURVIVAL OF THE PENGUINS

  ONWARDS WISCONSIN

 REACHING OUT

DUNCAN AND THE OLYMPIC SALMON

CHRYSALIS

ASYLUM IN CRYSTAL LAND

ON THE SECOND EASTER OF COVID

                                                                          

A SECRET HISTORY OF THE CAIRNGORMS by Patrick Baker

 

                                                                     

                                                                  Cairn Gorm

One of the best books I have read in ages. Immortalises the mountains and bothies of the Cairngorms while bringing its history and tragedies to life. I was on Cairn Gorm in 1967, with a fellwalking group from Imperial College London, and the book created haunting memories. My friends Scott and Julie bought the book last week while taking a holiday in Aviemore. The Cairngorm National Park is enormous. More about the Cairngorms

                                                                         

                                                                                  

                                                             BOOKS FROM SCOTLAND.COM

                                                         

THE CAIRNGORMS: A SECRET HISTORY

By (author) Patrick Baker

                                                                      

Cairngorms: A Secret History is a series of journeys exploring barely known human and natural stories of the Cairngorm Mountains. It looks at a unique British landscape, its last great wilderness, with new eyes. History combines with travelogue in a vivid account of this elemental scenery. There have been rare human incursions into the Cairngorm plateau, and Patrick Baker tracks them down. He traces elusive wildlife and relives ghostly sightings on the summit of Ben Macdui.From the search for a long-forgotten climbing shelter and the locating of ancient gem mines, to the discovery of skeletal aircraft remains and the hunt for a mysterious nineteenth-century aristocratic settlement, he seeks out the unlikeliest and most interesting of features in places far off the beaten track. The cultural and human impact of this stunning landscape and reflections on the history of mountaineering are the threads which bind this compelling narrative together.

Reviews of The Cairngorms: A Secret History

'Exploring the Cairngorms has been a lifetime fascination for Patrick Baker and in this book he generously shares the results' * Scotland Magazine * 'Packed with great stories and vivid descriptions' s * Scotland Outdoor * 'Describing a series of walks, Baker illuminates the bleak landscape, revealing the many stories linked to its ruined bothies, ancient gem mines and even haunted summits' * FT Weekend *

MY SECOND COUSIN, SIMON BARBOUR, PERFORMANCE ANALYST AT LOUGHBOROUGH SPORT

 

                                                                        

                                                                LINKEDIN

                                                          BARBOUR CHECKS IN

                                                         BARBOUR LEAVES LEICESTER TIGERS

                                                                                   

                                                         ONE OF BEST IN BUSINESS (You-tube video)

                                                                                                 

                      

                                                        PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS IN RUGBY UNION

                                                        PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS IN TEAM SPORTS

TRAMWORKS OBSTRUCTIONS ON LEITH WALK

 

       We've had to put up with over 12 years of these sorts of obstructions on Leith Walk

       When will they ever end? Maybe till 2023 after hives of inactivity. Maybe beyond.

        I suspect corruption at the highest level.

                                               MORE PICTURES

TRIAGE AT A AND E, A poem by Tom Leonard

                                                           TRIAGE AT A  AND  E

                                                                by Tom Leonard

                                               Dedicated to Dame Ophelia Mountshaft

                                                                          

                                                                         

                                 THEY'RE WAITING FOR DAME OPHELIA

                                 AS THE PARAMEDICS TAKE HER IN

                                 PAINS ALL OVER,

                                TOO MUCH PARTYING

                                THEN DOWN THE STAIRS IN A TWIRL

                                AND AWAY TO LITTLE FRANCE IN A WHIRL

                                THE TRIAGE IS LIKE A HUMAN ZOO

                                AND OPHELIA IS DUMPED IN A CHAIR

                                LIKE THREE OTHERS TOO

                                BUT WHEN THE NEEDY  DISAPPEAR INTO THE NIGHT

                                SHE TO A BED IN AN ALCOVE IS TAKEN, QUITE UPTIGHT

                                NURSES AND DOCTORS APPEAR AND DISAPPEAR

                               WHILE OPHELIA IS FOR AN X-RAY AND  CT-SCAN SENT.

                               THEN THE ENLIGHTENED CONSULTANT MATERIALISES

                               FROM OUT OF THE WALL

                              "WE NEED TO OBSERVE YOU OVERNIGHT, 

                               MISS MOUNTSHAFT," SHE SAYS,

                              "HOPEFULLY NOT FOR THE LONG HAUL."

                             "I LOVE THE SMILE ON YOUR FACE," 

                             REPLIED THE DAME OF THE GARTER,

                             WITH AN ARISTOCRATIC SNIFF.

                             "THANK YOU FOR SHOWING SUCH GRACE."

                                                                

                              

                              

                                                      DAME OPHELIA MOUNTSHAFT

                                                            

THE ALPHA-BUTCH WING FORWARD

                                          THE ALPHA-BUTCH WING FORWARD

                                                     

                                                              By Tom Leonard

                                                 A  poem for trans rugby players

                                                               Dedicated to Dara

                                                                    

                                                                      

                    The fat-cat owner peered 

                    At the back of the Reds' pack, and leered.

                    Past the flush of delectable youth,

                    Grizzly and shaped like an ox,

                    Dara cuddled into handsome Gerty,

                    His sleek-limbed number eight,

                   Flexed his biceps femoris,

                    and drove his hard-nosed shoulder

                   Into sweaty Emily's feminine right thigh.

  

                  When the ball came back to the Chiefs,

                  Dara seized upon Gerty's slick pass,

                  And ran at pace into open space,

                 As the girls in the stand fainted with pleasure

                 Beyond all measure.

                 That was the first of three tries that

                 Butch Dara scored against the gender fluid Strawberries

                 On that immortal day.

                 Then he joined in the fisticuffs

                 When they started the fray.

                                                          

                 All the more profit for me,

                Gloated the redneck fat-cat, straightening his twisted tail,

                But ladies' teams I will not pay fair.

                Rugby should be about all-exclusive masculinity

                And that's extra fun on the side for camp me.

                Afterwards in the shower,

                Dara had an announcement to make.

                "I've decided to express myself as a woman," she said,

                with a hopeful glance at the focus of her dreams.

               "Cos that's what I'll be from my time in the

                 womb, till I rot in my tomb.'

                 "So I'm really a she and never more he."

                 Gerty gave Dara a hug which made the fat-cat splutter.

                "That's great," said the cocky lock, flitting his uncontrollable eyes. 

                 "Cos now we can marry each other."

                "I always thought you were straight," exclaimed Dara, in ecstasy.

                "I accept wholeheartedly."

                "But how about me?" asked poor Emily.

                                            IF I WERE THE MARRYING KIND (VIDEO)