Greyfriars Kirk And Bobby Poem by Laurence Overmire

One of the oldest surviving buildings
In Edinburgh
Dating back to 1620

The National Covenant was signed here
In front of the pulpit
In 1638

A societal revolution was underway
A revolution of thinking and ideas

Painful though it would prove
Convulsing three kingdoms in
Bloody civil wars
Eventually the ideas of equality
And social justice
Would move the whole world

Forward

Today, the Kirk is beautiful and
Welcoming inside
Their message is one of peace
And tranquility

Outside, a walk in the graveyard
Is a humbling experience
We all have so little time on this
Earth
Precious little time

Covenanters were once held in a prison
In the corner of the churchyard
They say it is a haunted place
Surely injustice toward any of our
Fellow human beings
Should haunt us all
Now and forevermore

Greyfriar's Bobby
The famous Skye Terrier
Is remembered here
For 14 years he kept vigil
By his master's gravestone

Love is a powerful thing
It transcends time and place
If you're looking for immortality
Love long and love well

The rest will take care of itself.

~ Laurence Overmire

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