Window on the East

My window on the East
frames a familiar scene
as it gazes across
the expanse of the Minch

The lighthouse at Arnish
welcomes all comers
and bids farewell
to all that leave

It glances across
to the lonely memorial
to those whose welcome
was never to be

Far to the southeast
stand the lonely heights
of the treeless forest
of Applecross

Lining the old route
to the mainland
where many would go
never to return

To fight in a war
To start a new life
quietly hoping to cast eyes
on the old island again

My window on the East
has seen the changes
as the years go by
but the sea always remains

A dozen miles away
The windows look west
on the eternity
that's the Atlantic