Makar's new poem thanks Scotland's 'fierce' front line workers

Jackie Kay

Scotland's Makar Jackie Kay has written a poem in thanks to essential workers

The dedication of Scotland's front line workers is the subject of a new poem by Makar Jackie Kay.

The poet and author, who took up the mantle in 2016, thanks chemists, volunteers, carers, delivery workers and food supply staff in the poem entitled Essential.

She said she wrote the piece as a "huge, big thank you" to people on the front line of the coronavirus pandemic.

Ms Kay performed the poem on Thursday, coinciding with Clap for Carers.

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She said: "In these harrowing times it's been really heartening to see how much people have actually come together, how much kindness there's been out there and how dependent we are on all essential workers.

"Not just people in the NHS and carers who have done an amazing job. The child care workers, the post men and women, the delivery workers, the people in the food supply chain, the people stacking the supermarket shelves.

"We've become as a society and as a world even more aware and are more appreciative of every single thing that people do."

Born in Edinburgh and brought up in Bishopbriggs, East Dunbartonshire, Ms Kay was made an MBE in 2006.

She was appointed Makar in 2016 following in the footsteps of Liz Lochhead and Edwin Morgan.

Essential, by Scotland's Makar Jackie Kay

Up, doon, the length of our land -

Aberfeldy, Ardnamurchan -

There's uplift, sharing; pass the baton!

A frontline forming, hand to fierce hand.

Shopfront workers, doon the aisle;

New-era queues metres apart.

The chemist's prescription warms the heart.

Delivery folk vanish, ghost a smile.

Volunteers at the local food bank…

Shy half-moon in a clear Scots' sky.

We leave with tins, groceries, goodbyes…

Clap in the gloaming when we say our Thanks.

And the sky greets with stars

And the bold birds sing

As we clink in our links in the Kindness line;

Holding absent hands for Auld Lang Syne.