When a poem brings people together: behind the scenes of Corrie Doon

When asked to film the first winner of the Poets’ Corner ‘Post a Poem’ competition, I knew I would be recording something good and having a fun afternoon. What I hadn’t expected was to see how deeply the poem had connected two people.

Fiona Johnson, a retired headteacher from Auchinleck, won the competition with her Scots-language poem, Corrie Doon, written in response to the theme of ‘Faith’. Alongside Fiona's reading , I recorded a Ukrainian translation read by Liudmyla Kompaniiets 

Through our conversations, the story behind the words began to unfold.

Fiona explained that following a woman in Ukraine on social media had brought the realities of the war closer to her. Posts about nights spent sheltering in underground stations and other places to stay safe, followed by getting up and going to work, had stayed with her. She was struck by the thought of people trying to carry on with everyday life while living with the fear of what might happen next. She saw this as the perfect subject when tasked with the theme of faith.

Writing the poem was her way of encouraging others to listen and understand, while offering a message of support. 

For Liudmyla, that message had come through clearly.

She told me how much the poem had spoken to her, and that she had shared it with friends. It had shown her that people here understood what life was like for her, her family and her country. Hearing those experiences acknowledged meant a great deal to her. It helped her feel that they had not been forgotten.

Fiona was visibly touched to learn that her writing had made such an impression. She had written with compassion, but had not realised just how personally her words would be received.

That connection helped give us a bit of direction in creating the video. 

We talked together about the images that could accompany the readings and how to reflect both the hardship described and the hope within the poem. A short sequence moves from peaceful Scottish scenes to images of Ukraine, acknowledging the contrast between the safety many of us experience here and the destruction facing communities there.

Flowers provide a thread of hope through those images. Scottish heather and wildflowers sit alongside Ukrainian wildflower meadows, their bright colours suggesting happiness, new beginnings and something to look forward to. The sequence ends with the Ukrainian flag.

One particularly lovely moment came when Fiona gave Liudmyla another poem about Ukraine, which she had previously written through her writers’ group. It was a thoughtful gift, and another expression of the care that had brought them together.

As the person behind the camera, I found the experience moving too. I was aware of what was happening in Ukraine, but listening to both women and witnessing their response to one another brought home the personal impact in a different way.

What began as a filming task became an opportunity to see what a poem could mean to someone: the comfort of recognising your own experience in another person’s words and knowing that they have taken the time to care.

Corrie Doon is the first winning poem in a competition celebrating poetry and the area’s literary heritage. For me, making this film also showed how that poetry can reach beyond the place where it was written, helping people feel heard, welcome and connected. To take part and write your own poem click here