Melissa Russell has been writing some lovely poems during her year as School Makar. The time has passed so quickly, and it has taken me a while to collect all her work to share it with you here.
Her first poem was the winning entry in the Makar competition, focusing on the striking Kelpies sculptures in Falkirk:

©Melissa Russell 2015
Next, Melissa wrote a poem about the coming of spring. Here in Scotland, spring seems to take forever to arrive, and this poem conveys beautifully the delight we all feel at the first rays of warm sunshine:
Perhaps a visit to a tropical paradise inspired this next poem:
The School Makar is responsible for writing a poem for important moments in the school year, and what could be more important than the excitement leading up to Christmas!
Here is a poem inspired by the night sky:
And finally, as Melissa’s time as School Makar draws to a close, she has written a poem about the summer holidays:
Melissa has done a brilliant job as School Makar this year, and I wish her all success in the future. Soon it will be time to announce the new Makar, and the competition was stiff. Watch this space!