Laureen Johnson’s mini-booklet Treeds, written in Shetland dialect and published by Hansel Cooperative Press, Stromness, was another original production shortlisted for this year’s Callum Macdonald Award for poetry pamphlets. Its grey cover hides a colourful mixture of verses, which fall into focus when read aloud. There’s humour in such pieces as A Skurtfoo o Poets, a fantasy based on a scanner’s misreading of paet (peat) as poet. Hence “We hed an aald kert ta tak da poets hame.” Inebriated bards might well be grateful for this form of conveyance, I suppose! - Lesley Duncan

STAANDIN STEN

Staand ida lee o a staandin sten,
look at da stars
an tell yoursel it’s da 21st century.
Tak your radio,
tune as you will.
Tak your mobile,
An “phone a friend”
fae da lee o a staandin sten.
Mak a daet, phone hame,
tell your midder you’ll be laet
fae da lee o a staandin sten.
An when da batteries gie oot,
da server goes doon,
an every last sowl you ken
is geen ta bed,
lift your eyes
ida lee o da staandin sten
an see foo da stars is turned
da sky aroond
while your night fled.