Hare's Foot: 5 Scots Poems

1.The Sough o Yule The sough o Yule is jeelin A braith o the mools A yowl like nane ither, Dowie, drumly, dreich The nyaakit banes o Hunger Cryin a coronach Alang the cauld corp roads Win, in her Cailleach’s weeds, Wheeps snaa like packs o wolves Oot frae forgotten wids The communal skirl o Winter Drives aa inbye, haudin the hairth o hame 2.Walla Kirkyaird Aside the Deveron river Cercled bi parks an the soochin wheech o trees A lang, straicht wye gies access tae the kirk East o the graves a steep drap doon tae the watter Faas frae each dubby lair Twa natural puils in the river Blissed bi St Wallach langsyne War veesited for sainin sairs Gin yird pigs feast on the deid Nae doot sic unca breets Maun need their share 3.The Bruce’s Hairt The Bruce’s hairt’s aneth a sanstane merker In the auncient chapter hoose o a ruined Abbey Melrose, first an last in the king’s affections The merker stane is cuttit stoot an strang Risin abune the grun richt stinch an bravely Carved wi a hairt run throwe bi a Scottish saltire It weirs the leal wirds liftit frae Barbour's poem: 'A noble hart may have nane ease. Gif freedom failye.' 4.Spurgie Cheep cheep spurgie, stottin ben the stoor Blythe baa o feathers, yer onythin bit dour Cheep cheep spurgie, hardly ony left Far are ye gaun tae? The warld wad be bereft O muckle simple pleisur, should ye aa flee awa Blythe baa o feathers, foo could we wave ta-ta? 5.Hurcheon Boorich o prods, wee nut-broon bowster o preens Wi yer pyntit snoot ye hae the auld-farrant luik O a widlan fey. Yer wyme is happit wi fur It is stappit wi hornygollachs, wirms an emerteens Ye snocher an grunt like a grumphie 5,000 spines on yer back raised up complete As Wallace’s battle schiltrons Aa fur defence, wee feartie, jobby breet! A craitur o the nicht, Hauf blin, recluse, wannerin the warld alane Ye coorie awa frae sicht A left-ower frae a mediaeval tapestry Boorich o prods, sib tae the shrew, Wids, nicht an meen, blent in yer pedigree Weel acquant wi henwives, cherms, Rare herbs, tint wyes, the pysonous henbane