Joining Robert Macfarlane's CoReadingVirus Twitter Global Book Group, studying Nan Shepherd's The Living Mountain, I wrote these poems as my response. Each poem is inspired by a few chapters of the book.
The opening chapters are called 'The Plateau' and 'The Recesses' . In the poem Upwards, I focused on the elements described by Nan as she introduces us to the Cairngorms. Upwards Clouds shroud the mountain regular as snow, temperature transient, void of flesh and fear. Whispers wrapper the mountain: fickle, faint and fey. Enforcing her steadfast silence, shielded by their play. Water weds the Cairngorms, wielding solace on rock. A trail of footsteps skirting dangerous shadows. Landscape winks, living, glinting within its forever lens. I'm at one with the mountain as she playfully yields my joy. Anna Chorlton
Reading chapters three and four of The Living Mountain, 'The Group' and 'Water', the reader is taken over the summit to discover a hidden loch. Nan describes deep pools in the mountains and in the valley, The River Dee. Shiver is my response. Shiver Summit's skin quivers, her secrets revealed. Icy wind forages. A white stone is thrown, water tingles in surprise, hides beneath an icy glaze. Twin streams birth a salmon beauty - River Dee, dousing every seam as water sings and sings and sings. Anna Chorlton
Chapters five and six are 'Frost and Snow' and 'Air and Light'. I began to visualise the mountain as a Giantess and Nan as her trusted companion. Giantess of the Mountain Giantess swishes cloud locks, her golden eyes eagles scouring. Alone for aeons, she spies a companion tramping pathways, day and night. Giantess shakes her hoop skirts, displaying frills of heather, tiers of mirrored pools. Reigns in ruthless blizzard tears, windy gut. Scatters stars of gossamer. Giantess shares secret glimpses of her edgy essence, her rocky rind. Anna Chorlton
Reading chapter seven, 'Life: The Plants' and chapter eight 'Life: Birds, Animals and Insects', I imagined a dialogue between Nan, the mountain explorer and mountain life. Seeker What will you give? ask the fauna of the mountain, frisking gayly. A rare gift, my wonder, I reply, following higher, higher. Sing for me, I call to the birds of the mountain, hidden, dispersed. What will you take? shrill the birds on the lag of the wind. Only hope, I whisper. Hope risen on the mountain to savour as I breathe. Anna Chorlton
Chapter nine, 'Life: Man' introduces the crofters. Chapter ten, 'Sleep'; experiences of sleeping out on the mountains. Chapter eleven, 'The Senses'; how sensitivity to the senses are heightened up in the mountain. Chapter twelve, 'Being' ; discovering the experience of mountain merging with the self. Merging with the Mountain Sleeping with hair spread along auburn heather, body crunching on briar, sensing the scuff of wind, scuffle of deer, hear a piercing peregrine or perhaps, perhaps a cat. Wild beings merge, linger in early, sunlit gleam. Wake the mountain, blink as she breathes, rise as she rolls, ripples giggle over her shins, sensation on skin, a faerie greeting. The self a kernel, emerging from within, a mountain chrysalis. Anna Chorlton.