Highland Journey

coarse and crass
high-voiced ass
heehaw heehaw heehaw
yatter and yabber into
his cellular phone -
heehaw heehaw this
fat man and his
arrogance
sits astride his bus
bouncing and jiggling
bald head shining
advancing after-shave
pushed down the throat
in gusts from the
window at his round head

the battered bleakness of a
Highland road -
dusty line of cars and
buses belch exhaust fumes 
bluely into
stagnant air
across the bits of scrubby land

was this what they fought for
with dirk and claymore
with scar and blood -
this dirt, this scrappy land
this poor Scotland -
ragtag of the English
and their money?

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