RON Butlin is in full satirical vein in this imagined future for Scotland’s capital city. The poem comes from his scintillating new collection, The Magicians of Scotland (Polygon, £9.99).
WHATEVER NEXT?
Who hasn’t dreamt of windfarms in Princes Street?
Strictly democratic, they’ll brighten our lives
electric-wise from Granton to Grange,
Jenner’s to Poundland.
Just imagine –
fifty-foot high maitre d’s perpetually
ushering us in to picnic
on the grassy slopes.
How the world will envy us!
How Glasgow will envy us!
It only needs a business plan.
Somewhere deep beneath the Castle, we’ll have
a terra-cotta army standing guard,
as well it should.
McPyramids will house the future line
of Scottish pharaohs.
Ah yes, a business plan. . .
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