The Morning After

The morning after the night before 

I did not have the resilience of some of my friends, 

I retired at around 3.30am 

The result seemed clear

And the pundits were out in force

And my eyes were heavy

This morning, just a few hours later

as the final call came in

When the result was confirmed

I watched history in the making

We were asked to respond

And respond we did

What an amazing thing has happened!

The country was engaged in the process

People stood up to be counted

For finally they believed that their voices really do matter

Finally they were prepared to make a mark

To stand up and be counted

And overwhelmingly the majority joined in

It was a new experience for many

It was an opportunity to really engage

And that made me proud!

Proud to be British, proud to be an adopted Scot

I may not have been born here

But it takes more than being born in a place to establish identity

No. Is an answer

For many it is not the answer they sought, dreamed of, hoped for

But it is an answer

Now the die is cast

And the work begins

Forward we go, united as One country

United in hope for a future that will be better,

Better working together

Better sharing together

Better talking together

Together moving forward to make a better future

Full of hope

Full of resilience 

Driven by the desire to be reconciled, so that we can 

Build a better Scotland

A better Britain

A better nation - together.