The Maiden Stone – Rachel Smillie
We stand, a small crowd, at the roadside
Beside the stone
The ancient story in our ears
The traveller wisdom in our hearts
Young Mary's ring, a worm tunnelling beneath our feet
Her bracelet, an adder, fast slithering through the heather
We feel the weight of encounters with the De'il
- the shudder of a memory
And Stanley, his message
Lovingly insinuating its way into our breathing
Into our sight, our music, our stories
As the light plays on snow on Bennachie
Our gaze turns within
And we touch the Lodestone