CHE graduate Chris Adams recently brought together an anthology of poetry from members of the GalGael trust in Glasgow. Here he tells the story of how this very special publication came about.

On June 3rd this year a very special ‘Eagle Night’ gathering was held in Govan, Glasgow to celebrate the inspirational life and legacy of Colin Macleod, visionary founder of the GalGael Trust.

Pipes were played, songs in Gaelic and English were sung and a feast of delicacies from the sea - salmon, smoked mackerel and fresh caught langoustines - filled the room with delicious smells. Stories were told and tributes were made to a charismatic leader who encouraged people not to follow but to lead themselves.

The night also saw the launch of an important and compelling edition of the respected Scottish poetry journal Daemon titled 'Fight or Flight'.  'Fight or Flight' contains poems by some of the trainees from the GalGael’s Navigate the Future program as well as works from a number of other Galgael personalities including Colin himself.

The poems provide a powerful link between Colin’s vision for the GalGael and the lived experience of some of the young men involved with the organisation. Many of the poems speak about past experiences of drugs, violence and prison. But they also speak to the desire of the trainees to move beyond this destructiveness and into the 'light'. The title 'Fight or Flight' refers to the power that we all have to transcend our pasts, to transform our lives and our communities, to soar like eagles.

Through his vision and sheer energy, Colin made an impact on the lives of an untold number of people. Colin’s honest and impassioned example won the respect of everyone from disempowered former heroin users in Govan to visiting Native American elders. Many people in the CHE community came to know Colin during the days of the Pollock Free State. Others met him as a result of his efforts with the GalGael. I first met Colin during a visit to the GalGael workshops arranged by Alastair McIntosh during the autumn of 2005.

For a number of months following that initial encounter, I volunteered one day a week with the GalGael. While I spent some of my time collecting, and collating the poems that appear in Fight or Flight, much more of my time was spent in simple hard graft – sweeping floors, sawing logs and running errands (including one memorable overnight trip to the Isle of Harris and back). This chance to work constructively in community came at a time (during core modules two and three of the old MSc program) when I desperately craved a grounding in the 'real'. It was an incredible honour to help bring 'Fight or Flight' to publication. I thank the GalGael for the hospitality and generosity that they showed me and for the lessons that they taught me about my own ability to move beyond words and into action.

Thank you also to publisher Gerry Loose for seeing the importance of this work. My work on the project was in part made possible through a scholarship awarded through CHE’s Spirituality and Community Regeneration Research Programme which is funded by WWF International. Copies of Fight or Flight can be purchased for £2.00 from WordPower Books in Edinburgh (0131 662 9112) or direct from GalGael in Govan (0141 427 3070).