Crystallised Self
A poetic follow-on from Prodigal Son, a dialogue with a shedding persona, Ailsa Gillies makes an empowered declaration of what it means to embody the Self. Continue reading Crystallised Self
Tag: ailsa gillies
Prodigal Son
Jung would say the psyche speaks in images, myth and symbol. This piece is a dialogue with a persona that Ailsa Gillies let die. Continue reading Prodigal Son
Every Body Knows
Going from “if only” to “I am”, this poem moves from frustration and separation to reunion and liberation with the body. Ailsa Gillies celebrates her body for its wisdom during a small bout of illness. Continue reading Every Body Knows
Woman, you are
A poem born in the midst of Storm Amy, Ailsa Gillies speaks to the maiden, the mother and the crone. An ode to the grieving, evolving and forgotten women. Continue reading Woman, you are
5 Rothesay characters you’ve never heard of
Step back to 1800s Rothesay and meet five of Bute’s most unusual characters — from the mischievous Daft Jock to the mysterious ‘O’ Man. Unearthed from a 1913 article, these stories bring the island’s forgotten personalities vividly back to life. Continue reading 5 Rothesay characters you’ve never heard of
Bargaining My Soul
This poem captures the tension experienced on what Robert Frost called ‘The Road Less Travelled’. Ailsa Gillies dialogues with the soul when she takes it to auction. Continue reading Bargaining My Soul
A Plea in the Passing of Time
No one talks about that silent space during transformation. Where you’re ready for your new life, but not quite done with your old one. This poem captures exactly that – vulnerable, desperate…and ready. Continue reading A Plea in the Passing of Time
5 things you didn’t know about Ettrick Bay
Tea parties, concerts, donkey rides, shipwrecks, history-making flights and hurricane destructions — and that’s just a standard night out in Rothesay.
These are 5 things you might not know about Ettrick Bay. Continue reading 5 things you didn’t know about Ettrick Bay
The Lamb’s Lament
A lament for all those who were ever told they were ‘too soft’, ‘too sensitive’ or told to ‘toughen up’.
Ailsa Gillies uses the extended metaphor of a lamb to symbolise the predatory behaviour of the corporate world that exploit and shame vulnerabilities and kindness. Continue reading The Lamb’s Lament
A Psalm from the Window
‘How easy humans are to love when they’re not performing’, says Ailsa Gillies in this piece that finds reverence in the ordinary and compassion for humans when they’re the most ‘themselves’. Continue reading A Psalm from the Window
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