The Lost Leader

Mick Imlah

The late Mick Imlah's final meditation on the nature of Scottishness is a wonderful, thought-provoking inspirational series of poems, investigating the contribution that individuals make in the development of their countries - in this case Scotland. It shows that we cannot afford leaders like Mick Imlah dying young.

Extract

whether, in the Captain's terms, his Mate
was a bugger; or the Captain a thief, scanting
an honest Scot and his fellow mariner
of the spoil share due to a crew member ...
Indeed, it is only be seconds, his second thought

when the Mungo pulls from the bay
that there's still plenty left of the day,
and since he unquestionably is marooned -
four hundred miles to the west of Valpareez -
he might as well settle down to whittle the staves

From Maroon (1703)

Parallels