The waves upon the Bass Rock <br />Beat mournful in the dawn <br />And in the Leeside of this monolith <br />The Cod and Mackeral spawn <br /> <br />Across the shore proud Tantallon <br />Part shrouded in the mist <br />And edged with gold the hillsides <br />Where the morning sun has kissed <br /> <br />Upon the Rock the Seabirds nest <br />Their presence caps it white <br />and golden sunbursts drive away <br />the rear guard of night <br /> <br /> The wind blows strong and coldly <br />To chill unto the bone <br />and herring gull and gannet call <br />are silenced by it’s moan <br /> <br />But wind nor sea nor bird cry <br />Can hold back the angry cry <br />in the Wolf like howl <br />The Grey Seal gives, defiant, to the sky <br /> <br />As though in thankful sacrifice <br />we offer to the waves <br />The filletings of Cod and Ling <br />The Mackerel roe we save. <br /> <br /> This wind is set to drive us home <br />This bitter spiteful blow <br />And soon the swell begins to rise <br />The sign for us to go <br /> <br />As we turn towards the shore <br />from a rock just feet away <br />a Grey bull roars defiantly <br />so near we feel his spray<br /><br />Bill Mitton<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-waves-upon-the-bass-rock/
