The Safety of Maps
Isle of Tiree, 2001.
This morning, coming down into dawn
I see you have left the map on the table
spread out, so we know where we are.
Latitude, 56 degrees, 31 minutes north.
Longitude, 6 degrees, 48 minutes west.
We can place ourselves exactly here
in time and temperate century
among the ruins we do not own
but which belong to us
beside the church which holds
the bones of your grandfather Neil
and in every stone of this house
we did not build, but live in.