Regular outbursts of enthusiastic clapping are probably not immediately associated with poetry readings – but then Tales of a Cosmic Crofter is no ordinary book of poems.
This is the latest work by Donald S Murray – brought up in Ness, living in Shetland and for the purposes of this book at least, a gallivanting citizen of the universe.
Tales of a Cosmic Crofter would lend itself to being converted into a fantastical bande dessinée – it’s a wonderful excursion from croft life into Outer Space by way of Yuri Gagarin and others.
The striking work of the cover artist, Derek Mitchell, sets the tone and could be a good way of luring children into poetry which makes sometimes sombre points in an always light-hearted way. (Or some poems would make a wonderful short film or two…local artists please note!)
Donald was one of four poets with new or recently published work given the chance to read and perform it at the Scottish Poetry Library in central Edinburgh on Wednesday April 16. The Library is located at 5 Crichton’s Close in Edinburgh, EH8 8DT.
Donald has been embroiled in a whole load of very serious projects over the past few years – from the Iolaire to the Metagama with novels, songs, plays and musicals. He explained that the Cosmic Crofter had begun to break through about seven years ago…and after several poems won acclaim and publication, he unleashed his imagination from its traditional ex-teacher’s strait jacket and around four times as many Cosmic Crofter poems poured out from his frantic pen as are actually included in the newly-published work.
He detailed his sources of inspiration – from TV’s Donnie ‘Dotaman’ Macleod to whom the book is dedicated and his tractor songs which enthused Donald’s own children so much, through to David Bowie and his Starman which made a huge impact on the teenage Donald. Another aspect was simply the experience of village life – where not everyone got on with each other, so the Cosmic Crofter could seek a way out of this life into the constellations. And the first space flights – like that of USSR cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin.
Donald recalled listening to the moon landings on radio in 1969 before television had got into the family home and feeling that his imagination of the landing was far deeper for him than the images other people had seen.
The first poem, obviously called Genesis, sets the tone
In his mind,
he'd harvest constellations
spread above his croft.
That moon could be a turnip,
purple-topped,
when it caught and reflected
the dying shade of sun,
changing to
a yellow swede at night-time
when clouds would swell
and shroud its skin with leaves,
stars a bright pail
of potatoes,
the Milky Way
grain scattered
on the black depths of the sky,
until he'd rise at midnight
and hitch his old, grey tractor
to the Plough,
churning over darkness
in the hope
next year would bring
greater store and plenty,
with crops and stacks
that stretched out
beyond infinity.
The evening was introduced by Linda Jackson, who established Seahorse Publications in 2019, and who is publishing the latest work. She praised the Scottish Poetry Library for its work and support for the event.
The other poets of the evening had very contrasting styles – New Zealander Mark Vernon Thomas who now lives in southwest Scotland and has just published For All The Ghosts That Live In Me with Seahorse Publications; surgeon turned psychotherapist Jen Dunn whose first book of poetry ‘Tell Me About The Broken Bones’ was published by Seahorse last month; and a visiting Australian poet Angela Costi. She is a poet, essayist, and playwright of Cypriot-Greek heritage. She is known for her poetry collections, including "Honey and Salt" and "An Embroidery of Old Maps and New," as well as her work in community arts and social justice.
But it was a supposedly sombre man of Ness who brought abstract lightheartedness to the evening and some purely island memories. His poem Limitations starts:
“He’d felt constrained by fences
Recalling how he’d once been able to explore
The crofts that ran along his own…”
Tales of a Cosmic Crofter. Donald S Murray. 50pp. £10. Seahorse Publications
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(Top caption: Donald Murray, Jen Dunn, Linda Jackson, Mark Vernon Thomas, and Angela Costi)
