Blind Roderic, silver tongued,
Sings eulogies of moments from
The thronged worlds behind walled eyes
That his lords, claymore strong
Thonged Mhicleods, battle makers,
Cannot make their own

(delicate as glass
the songs of diamond phosphor seas
and lilted light
the voice a silver scho
of finger luted soft delight)

Gone from the raucous halls
Of new Mhicleod, dragon man,
Towards the crypt of the sea
And the islands beyond being drowned
Roderic, sage of taken peace,
Sings towards the strain of Silkie lilts

On minor hills
among the broken halls
peat diggers come and go
and going
listen
to
the
sea

John Mackie lives and works in Banff, Scotland from where he runs an international training and development consultancy and research company.

After a childhood spent in Garmouth, Moray, and Fort William with long summers spent on the Isle of Raasay (his mother's family home) he moved to London in consequence of his father's search for work. He returned to live in Scotland with his partner and step-child in 1994.

He was educated at Woolverstone Hall Grammar School, The Hatfield Polytechnic and The London School of Economics, where he studied political philosophy.

First published as a poet in 1964, at the age of 17, his work has appeared in numerous anthologies and specialist poetry magazines, including New Measure and New Departures, and is housed in the permanent collection of The national Poetry Library. He has also published many songs, some of them collaborations with, amongst others, R.J.Bunn of Roxy Music, the Glasgow born guitarist Jim Mullen and members of the Average White Band, Brian Auger's Oblivion Express and Vinegar Joe.

In the 1960's and 1970's he worked as a lyricist at Apple Music (The Beatle's company) and Straight Ahead (with David Bowie, Marc Bolan and Joe Cocker). Other collaborations have included writing libretti for The Eisler Ensemble and the composers Howard Brenton and David Smith for performances at London's South Bank, St. John's Smith Square, the Almeida Festival and, on one memorable occasion, North Korea.

Some of the work included in 'Lyrics From The Dolphin Coast' reflects his life-long concern with themes arising from considerations of Scottish cultural and national identity and some has been written from love - of a woman, of moments in family history, of places in Scotland.