Glasgow Sunrise Poem by Laurence Overmire

Watch the sun emerging through
The dusky skies of Glasgow
Carefully and with
Reverence

The working heart of Scotland
Beating to its own pulse
Situated on the River Clyde
One of the largest seaports
In Britain

The Scottish Enlightenment
Took hold here in the 18th century
Great minds considered how
Reasonable human beings
Could create a world for
The betterment of all

The University of Glasgow
Founded in 1451
Is still among the finest in the world
For Arts and Sciences
Law, Engineering, Medicine

The hard working men and women
Who make Glasgow their home
Come from the deepest roots
Of all that it means to be
Scottish

Their ancestors have inhabited
This land
For thousands and thousands
And thousands
Of years

They will not be stepped on
And spit out
By those who would exploit them
For less than honorable
Ends

They are called upon now
In this 21st century
To find a way
To bring health and prosperity
To an ailing world
Being consumed in the fires of its own

Delusional

Greed

Glaswegians keep their eyes
Focused
On what is honest and true
What is good for the old
And good for the young
The weak and the poor
What is fair
What is decent

And what is cruel

Enlightenment
Education
Hard work
Compassion
Truth

These are not words
To be taken lightly
When Glasgow speaks

The world must take notice.

~ Laurence Overmire

(Previously published in The Ghost of Rabbie Burns: An American Poet's Journey Through Scotland, Indelible Mark Publishing,2016)