The Gift of Giving by Terry McTernan

The Gift of Giving A poem by Terry McTernan It starts with time, a smile, a deed, A moment spent to meet a need. No fame, no fuss, no grand display, Just hearts that choose to give each day. A hand to hold, a task made light, A friendly chat that feels just right.... Read More

Scotsmosis by Susan Gazzola Black

Scotsmosis A poem by Susan Gazzola Black  Susan is an American from New York who has been living in Paisley for 14 years. Scotsmosis sums up her adventure of how she met her husband and moved to her new homeland. I am a New Yorker by birth And I’ve traveled a lot on this... Read More

When helping friends move (because they are not allowed to stay)

When helping friends move (because they are not allowed to stay) A poem by EmmaClaire Brightlyn Love is a many vesselled thing not limited to a muscle encased by a cage of bones and a breast. Love’s mercurial shape can take more states than water, finding home in plates and dishes as well as... Read More

The Heron of the Hammils by David Treanor

The Heron of the Hammils A poem about loss and redemption written 11 years ago by local tree surgeon David Treanor Moving through the twilight the heron hunts alone one foot in land, one water his kindred birds have flown. Disturbed he loses stillness mood misunderstood awkwardly appearing to fail his precious brood. Peace... Read More

Donna Matthew: the Paisley poet talks to Claire Elliott

Fresh from her appointment as Makar of the Scottish Women’s Football Association Poetry Society, Donna Matthew discusses her new role and what it means to her to be a Paisley poet with Claire Elliott What would you say your experience has been like living in Paisley? I was born in Paisley, but I grew... Read More

The Honeybee and the Bumblebee, a poem by Gordon Powrie

The Honeybee and the Bumblebee, a poem by Gordon Powrie One day a fuzzy Bumblebee Was a-buzzing in the garden When he saw a Honeybee A flower she was guarding, The Bumble said “Honeybee, If you’ll just give me a chance I promise I can take special care Of your flowers and your plants.”... Read More

Set the Controls for the Heart of The Club Bar in Paisley

Set the Controls for the Heart of The Club Bar in Paisley, a poem by Graham Fulton Scotland have just beaten Croatia 1-0 in Zagreb when we least expect it, and to add to the amplified wash of unreality the pub is now playing back to back songs by Pink Floyd beginning with ‘Set... Read More

The Deceit: A poem by Bobby Motherwell

The Deceit by Bobby Motherwell They rise from the scrapes like windblown leaves, a deceit of sixty plus Lapwings. From white to black they flicker in flight. Pages of flip art motion. Escapees against a smothering sky. They mesmerise. Daring me to distraction to Goosander and Widgeon and Great Crested Grebe bobbing nearby. Spiralling... Read More

Thomas Barbour: Paisley Popular Poet

Brian Hannan, local author and manager of Abbey Books in Paisley, takes a look at the work of Paisley’s Thomas Barbour Thomas Barbour achieved local fame in unusual fashion. His poems were exclusively published during his lifetime by the Paisley Daily Express. And he wasn’t living in Paisley at the time, so his works... Read More

The Flu Shot Sma’ Shot – a poem by Shaun Moore

The Flu Shot Sma’ Shot by Shaun Moore, poet laureate for Renfrewshire Near a hundred and seventy years gone by, how can it be relevant still? Gone are the weavers, the corks and the looms, gone are the very mills. As are the coalmines that fired them, the steelworks that built them, and the ships... Read More