DAILY POEM: Bluebottle Bella (for Isobel Neil)

Text of this poem cannot be included due to copyright.

W N Herbert is the fifth of ten poets shortlisted for the T S Eliot Prize for best new collection of poetry. Born in Dundee in 1961, a highly versatile poet, he writes in English and Scots, and is concerned with the problems of a submerged Scottish culture and language. This year's judges are Ciaran Carson, Candia McWilliam, John Fuller and Robert Crawford, chaired by Elaine Feinstein. All 10 poets will be featured in the Daily Poem until the announcement of the winner on 17 January. This poem is from his collection Forked Tongue (Bloodaxe, £7.95).