The Poems: Goodbye to a Soul

Title: Goodbye to a Soul Poems & Tales in Scots & English by Sheena Blackhall.Published by Malfranteaux Concepts Printed by Thistle Reprographics, 55 Holburn Street Aberdeen. The cover image is Murder by the artist Rosy Long August 2019 For more information on publications by Sheena Blackhall, visit http://sheenablackhall.blogspot.com or the on-line catalogue of the Nat. Library of Scotland www.nls.uk/catalogues/online/index/html. All of Blackhall’s poems in Scots and English, are now uploaded on www.poemhunter.com. Her website can be found on http://smiddleton4.wix.com/sheena-blackhall. Interviews with the poet appear on: http://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/connect/podcast/sheena-blackhall and on Scots Radio: https// www.scotsradio.com/sheena-blackhall/ https://soundcloud.com/scotsradio/sheena-blackhall Thanks are also due to Malfranteux Cconcepts for agreeing to publish this collection, and to the artist Rosy Long for agreeing to the use of her work as cover. Most of these poems were written from August 3rd- 9th 2019, during a research trip to Duxford, Bletchley, Stratford, Ely, and the current Art exhibition at the National Arboretum. Others were inspired by work being done by Larry Butler & Sheila Templeton into approaches and responses to the subject of death. Two stories and associated Crathes Poems by Sheena Blackhall were written as part of The Hills an in Atween project. Grace Banks is heading this project; its aim is to discover more about the local rivers and the surrounding land – how folk made use of both over time - the legends, facts, stories, songs. It is hoped the work that will be shared and created will then form part of an audio/visual tapestry which will be presented to the International Storytelling festival 2020. As Grace has put it; ‘An interweavin doon the rivers exploring land use through time wi tales an sangs old and new, wi music and birdsang, wi pictures an photies to gie colour an meanin –through war and peace, through avarice and austerity. Encouraging a respect, a listenin and response tae what the earth needs.’