So I’m calling up the sheep
“Come bye, come bye”, to the dogs
Hector is dozing by the fire, he had first watch
I’ve sent the dogs out, left and right
To bring in the stragglers, at last all settle
I tug my plaid up round my ears and toss another peat on the fire
We’ve joined our flocks for this bit of scant grazing
It’s a dark, dark night
The clouds came up early, extinguishing the stars
I watch the dogs watching the sheep
It just needs one dafty to run
But it’s the dogs that start to twitch
They are uneasy, something has spooked them
Sitting up, ears cocked, eyes wide
Then I heard it too
The sky began to crackle and glow
Hector woke with a start
“Whit are ye at?”
“It is’nae me, look up”
“Och! It’s yon Shiny Man thing again”
I gaze in astonishment at Hector
Meanwhile the sky opens
A gigantic golden flower blooms
I look frantically at the sheep
The sheep are completely indifferent
They’ve seen it all before
Just me and the dogs then
Hector is making up the fire
“Who’s the Shiny Man then?”
“He’ll be along soon, first the smell, then the sounds
Then the Shiny Man”
And do you know, I could smell honey
Then something spicy overlaid with flowers
And just as I was enjoying this
Up starts the noise, well noise is unfair
It wasn’t quite music, not as I knew it
Not Archie John, you couldnae whistle this
It was familiar yet wondrous strange
And then the flower blew apart
Golden petals flew across the sky
Showering hill and glen with magical rain
“See” said Hector “The Shiny Man”
Hard as I tried I couldnae see clearly
“Dinnae bother” said Hector “He is’nae real,
He’s just here for the summoning”
I turned blaze blinded eyes to Hector
“Och, come on laddie, it’s every shepherds birthright
To go if able
Are you not a shepherd, abiding in the field?
And is the Shiny Man not saying don’t be scared?
We have to go and look at the baby”
Well I was, and He was, so we did.
Of Mistress Cameron’s sheep we cared not
“Who would want them anyway?”
Up the glen, down the brae, through the bealich
It was a sore journey on foot
With folk joining in on the way
Many I knew, and a grand blether there was
Much was made of a star, which many were following
Others were just along because
Jimmy the Post had his bag, lumpy with parcels
and Mac the knife from the butchers still had his apron on
And then knock me down with a spurtle
There was the star, all twinkly and bright
Beyond the standing stones, just hanging in the sky
We all stopped to watch
The Rev. Montgomery, McNiven the teacher
And him from the council, pushy as always
Gathered round Jimmy the post
Sorting and swapping parcels until satisfied
Hector pulled me on “Come away” he said “Time to get on
“We are to be first, being called”
And with his smiley dog capering before
We pushed through the crowd and set off along a rough track
“That’s Sorley McFadyen’s bothy” I said
“Wisht” said Hector “Not just now it is’nae”
The nearer we got the brighter it got
Light was flaring through gaps in the stone
Fingers of light reaching into the darkness
Drawing us in
I lingered in the doorway, Hector went in
There was a familiar woman, with a baby
In a puckle of straw in a ruckle of a box
Standing by was another familiar figure
I tugged at Hector as he came out
“Isn’t that Effie from over bye?
And surely that’s Wee Eck the joiner by the bridge”
“Not for tonight” said Hector
His face as peaceful and happy as I’ve ever seen
We were pushed aside by the postie
And the Minister and the Teacher and the Provost
Clutching their parcels, their eyes wide, went in
“Did you see there was a donkey? Who’s got a donkey?”
“There is always a donkey; I once saw a camel,
Odd looking beast that” said Hector
“And isn’t that Fergie Dunlop’s best cow?”
“Not tonight it is’nae” said Hector
With a big happy sigh he set off back
I ran after him “What happens now?”
“Not a lot, but one day, who knows”
©Alexander Hamilton December 2010
Wow
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