The Edinburgh Reporter December 2022

From The Scottish

Poetry Library

13

Colourful Victoria Street

is full of independent

shops for unique gifts

Carmen Chalmers

loves colour

Hannah Lavery is the current

Edinburgh Makar. Dear Mum is from

her first full-length poetry collection

BLOOD SALT SPRING (Polygon Books)

which was short-listed for the 2022

Scottish Poetry Book of the Year.

DEAR MUM

Looking out this window

I started thinking of Bill Withers

of how, when we were all confined

to our own five miles, we cared more

about our neighbours.

Learned the names of the birds.

Noticed our children. I started to cry

a wee tear that led quickly to

sobbing.

It was quite something.

We put the tree up at the weekend

and even though it was only the fifth

we felt like we were the last to do it.

Och! It seems like everyone is

depressed and I suppose it did cheer

me up to come down to twinkly lights

Monday morning.

I just finished the Big Shop

I got you all the things you liked.

Then remembered you wouldne

be coming...

I think I will put the red cabbage

in a Tupperware and leave it for you

on your front step, maybe I will sing

Lean on Me, through your letterbox.

We've done well to come this far

you said, it's true, and it'll no be long

they say, but I'll pop over, just to see

you Just to see you. I will put some

tinsel in my hair. Stay outside. Wave

to you through your window.

The Scottish Poetry Library on

5 Crichton’s Close, Edinburgh EH8 8DT

is open from 10am to 3pm weekdays

and is open 24/7 online at

ScottishPoetryLibrary.org.uk and also

operates free postal borrowing.

For poetry enquiries please send an

e-mail to [email protected]

handbags, some made in the UK and a few
things - colourful aprons, handbags and
beaded art - made in Malawi and sold to
support a children’s home there.
As well as a huge range of products from
around 55 makers, there is a small coffee
bar to the rear of the shop still selling Seb’s
Urban Jungle Roast.

Support the Makers is at 101 Easter Road
EH7 5PP. Open six days for gifts and coffee.
supportthemakersuk.com

PAPER TIGER

PAPER TIGER IS the Edinburgh destination
for exciting, innovative and distinctive cards,
stationery, wrap and gifts. They have been

trading in the city centre for more than 40

years from stores in Stafford Street and

Lothian Road, and also from the website at

http://www.papertiger.co.uk. As an independent

business, they endeavour to bring high

quality work from near and far to create a

range of unusual and unique products for

you to share with family and friends.

Whether it’s local images from an array of

local illustrators, stationery from brands like

Moleskine, or gifts from creative companies

like Jellycat, Paper Tiger think they have

something for everyone this Christmas.

Paper Tiger 53 Lothian Road EH1 2DJ and 6A

Stafford Street EH3 7AU Open 7 days and ask

about free Christmas Class Delivery.

http://www.papertiger.co.uk

Colour me happy

Bex Mitchell is an Edinburgh-based illustrator of colour

maximalist doodles. She specialises in graphic, cartoon,

and children’s/colouring book illustration.

Powered by Coke Zero she works freelance as an illustrator

and graphic designer with companies big and small.

Martin P McAdam