The queen’s park

I start my motorcycle and, while it warms up, feed the chooks. I notice a pool of oil when I return. It looks like the bike is off the agenda for today.

I get off the bus at Salisbury Road and walk through the park. Eight hours later, in the windy dusk of my year’s first workday, I retrace my steps.

Edinburgh’s skyline is crowded with cranes. They jostle Calton Hill’s Parthenon, their small, red safety lights shimmering in the distance.