An Autumn Portrait

One of our Community Grants Scheme recipients this year was Griogair MacAllein who led story walks across the area throughout last year.

Here Griogair shares a seasonally suitable poem:

AN AUTUMN PORTRAIT
Griogair MacAllein

The forest floor, a canvas wet with dripping raindrops.
A child brings 4 twigs – the top, the bottom & 2 sides
A frame.

Another child forages for leaves, 2 Pine cones, pieces of Birch bark.
Granda brings reeds and a feather and the hair of a Rabbit.

The children build a face on the forest floor
Fenced by the 4 twigs
the 2 Pine cones, the pieces of Birch bark, the leaves, the reeds, the feather
and the hair of a Rabbit.

Those moments in time
Meant to be made.
Granda watched and smiled.

‘’It’s you Granda. Smiley face!’’
Granda smiled back into the mirror on the forest floor

The wind’s bite called them home.
Even a dog sniffed and left the portrait untouched.
The wind stayed.

The 4 twigs scattered, the 2 Pine cones, the pieces of Birch bark, the leaves, the reeds, the feather
And the hair of a Rabbit
Spread another picture on the forest floor.

In the morning the children asked, ‘’Do you think we are still there Granda?’’.
‘’Always’’, replied Granda.