'Lapwings Against Cloud on Hecla'

'This poem was written at the end of a fishless day after sea trout on South Uist. It is literally about the ability to identify a bird in flight by the nature of its flight, the beat of the wing. Perhaps it also says something about the way small packets of information can communicate meaning.<br /> <br /> Lapwings Against Cloud on Hecla.<br /> <br /> Downsun from sunset<br /> small flock of aldiss lamps<br /> tapping out<br /> blinking out of battleship grey<br /> at this, their frequency and pause<br /> wings high before beating<br /> their message. Just this<br /> is lapwing, over.<br /> This is lapwing, over.<br /> This is lapwing.'<br /> <br /> Tha Daibhidh Knowles air leigeil seachad bho chionn ghoirid an dreuchd a bh' aige fad 26 bliadhna na phìleat aig bomairean an RAF. Tha e na neach-stiùiridh aig a' chompanaidh foillseachaidh neo-eisimileach, Two Ravens Press. <br /> <br /> Lean Daibhidh feallsanachd is fiosaig aig Oxford mus do chuir e a-steach airson treanadh mar oifigear aig an RAF. Sna 1990an bha e a' dèanamh freiceadain air na sgìrean neo-itealaich gu deas timcheall air Kuwait. Choisinn e Crois Urraim Itealaich (DFC) airson misean a rinn e e a' chiad oidhche a thugadh ionnsaigh air Iraq ann am Màrt 2003. Gann de chonnadh agus trom le bomaichean, bha an nàmhaid a' losgadh air ach chuir e crìoch air a mhisean mus do chuir e sìos air raon-laighe beag san fhàsach. Chuir e roimhe leigeil dheth a dhreuchd an dèidh dha Iraq fhàgail.<br /> <br /> Tha Daibhidh air a bhith a' sgrìobhadh bàrdachd bho a làithean aig sgoil-fuirich anns a' Chuimridh. Tha a dhreuchd gu lèir san RAF air ìnnse sa chruinneachadh, 'Meeting the Jet Man' (2008). B' e sin an dòigh a bh' aige air na thachair dha a chlàradh is ìnnseadh. An-diugh tha e ag oibreachadh agus a' fuireach air croit bheag faisg air Ulapul far a bheil a làithean làn eadar sgrìobhadh bàrdachd, foillseachadh, feallsanachd, agus a' coimhead às dèidh a chuid chaoraich.