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
Tag: ailsa gillies
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
Something Borrowed
Everything in life – time, love, possessions, and experiences – are something borrowed. Ailsa Gillies explores the fleeting nature of life and the illusion of ownership. Continue reading Something Borrowed
The Price of Pomegranates
Transformation. Death and rebirths. The duality of beauty and pain. The messiness that comes with ‘pomegranates’, the metaphor for a life rich with experience.
These are all the things that Ailsa Gillies explores in this visceral and raw piece of lyrical prose. Continue reading The Price of Pomegranates
Lilac & Lemon
This poem explores the eternal bond between sisters, rooted deeply in the fabric of time. It navigates the themes of unconditional love, shared history, and the interconnectedness of all life—whether through blood, roots, or stories by the fire. Continue reading Lilac & Lemon
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