Craig Aitchison

Juist

for Kevin Higgins (1973-2023)

Juist a body A kent for awee.

Juist a pal tae meet for a pint or three,

Juist someone aye riddy fir a blether –

aboot music, beuks, lassies, whitever.

Juist a gid lauch whae cud mak me golder

or when a gret tae offer a shouder,

tae let me haiver whiles he’d doucely list,

kenning that aw he hud tae say was juist

‘Tell me this and tell me no more’, wide-eened,

noddin. ‘Serious? Wow.’ Juist a pal, juist a freend.

Syne we driftit apairt. An A meant tae call,

tae hear the crack an let aw the years faw

away. A should huv ettlet, should huv socht

mair. Plenty o time A suppose A thocht.

A niver. Too late noo. Somehow a juist

niver. Sae A juist mind an mane an miss.