The Seely Howe (Scots Poems)

Coull Cemetary The robin threiped frae the castle waa Though seeds blaw far frae the parent tree The wins o ancestry bring them back They aa cam hame in the end, said he The burn that wynds through the seely howe Spikks wi the voice o prophecy Tea planters, dominies, fermin cheils They aa cam hame in the end, said she Frae the icy corries o Lochnagar The erne cercles his territory King o the realm an aa aroon They aa cam hame in the end, said he The grave is quaet, the grave is kind Here faimily ghaists find sanctuary The gravedigger dichts the yird frae his spaad They aa cam hame in the end, says he In Memoriam I sikk ye aawye, kennin yer nae here. Like a chalk drawin, blawn aawa like stoor Intae the eildritch haar o Daith's blae muir Sae mony hae gaen cracklin tae the bier Like san ran throwe the glaiss in their last oor Some blythe an cantie, ithers, maenin, sweir Yer life wis hauf-lived. Eeslessly I speir O Fate, foo rype my gairden o its flooer? Nae answer cams in ony buik o lear Life hirples forrit, ay the same mineer At nicht ma tint ane fuspers, brings succoor ‘I'm bit ae step afore ye, dinna fear' I saw a Bairnie in a Widdendreme I saw a bairnie in a widdendreme The coorse stramash o war brukk aa aroon Tint an alane, the littlin lay In a deep loch, aa virr caad frae her breist ‘Sweem fur yer life! ' I cried. She tuik nae tent ava, gaed up the ghaist Sank like a stane, drappt doon tae daith's cauld hame The warld is riven by the lust tae kill Ower fa's God rules the reest The price is bluid, an faimlies smashed tae shards Touns turned tae stoor, an clachans intae smush The stank o murdered flesh, on hatred's altar Fowk brocht as laigh's the girse That sune wad hap their heids This poem is neither bonnie, braw nor douce For terror's ugsome an its friens are Pain Skaith, Scaurs, like slivverin draigons o the derk Ooto the orrals o a time gaen gyte Fowk flee the charnel hoose o their torn kintra Temples an palaces in smithereens Far priests stoke up the flames o Agony An fa can blame them? Far's the gowden coggie Tither eyn o the wattergaw? The Tir nan Og They risk their lives tae reach? We fear the smitt o war, offer sma hope An like thon bairnie in the widdendreme Their boaties cowp, an cryin help, they droon. Place Names Bruntshielbog, Bonnie Doune Bonny Braes, Broo Gill Brewer's Burn, Braid Cairn Wedder Brows, Bu Hill Burrowgate, Nisbetmill Cauld Corbie Cleuch, Claver Sike Todsbughts, Carlincraig Clash o Wirren, lowp the dyke East Comb, Cloybank Green Close, Corby Linn Cran Moss, thistles rank Wesrcroft, gurly win! Easter Davoch, Duchrie Dod Cutty Cleuch, Crookedshaws Little Doups, Fank Burn, Deer Dyke, hips an hawes Fey Wood, Floshknowe Foggy Lees, Stane Fauld Gairy Lochs, Canongate Garthdee, cranreuch cauld Gled Brae, West Glacks Gouknest, Sma Glen Gullet Sprout, Haudgate Hole Katie's Hass, Cauldhame Deil's Jingle, Howie Sound Hunterheck. Hemmel Knowe Netherhirst, Howierig Kail Yard, girssy howe Auld Wife's Kirn, Kyles of Bute Marnock Knap, Netherlee Nout's lair, Rushy Lane Little Latch, Rashboglea Braid Loans, Drumbuie lodge Mere Cleuch, Mickle Corum Blackmiddens, Banklug Thumb Loop, a muckle jorum Peerie Breast, Paddockfield Nowt Bield, Leitholm Peel Park Neuk, Nabhill Blackiemuir, rig an dreel Green Pund, Carse Pow Pyat Craig, Blackraw Rispie Lairs, Sauchie Banks Throw Rig, Scald Law Scaw'd Fell, Seggy Burn Scar Brae, Scart Rock Shank Glen, Scaup Burn Scroggiehill, sturdy stock Thief's Slack, Slap of Setter Backsmiddy, shelt's troch Brierysink, bushy Sike Heathershot, Berrysloch Starryheuch, Black Stank, Foulsteps, Swartmill Fir Stell, The Lecker Stane Stey Brae, Stot Hill Upper Tack, Broad Tae Laidler's Tail, Craw Tap Tappit Knowes. Threip Moor Easter Tofts, barley crap Wee Doon, Wham Rig Whinniemuir, Finzean Linn Yearn Cleuch, Upper Yetts Fox Yird, Wester Whin A Whistle Stop Tour of Grampian Auchnagatt & Auchterless Gordonstoun & Peterculter Meikle Wartle, Monymusk Rochienorman, Craigiebuckler Skene, Dunecht, Blairduff, Midmar Boddam. Ythanbank, Longhaven Inverugie, Peterhead Methlick, Tarves and Stonehaven Turriff, Maud & Stuartfield Crimond, Rattray, Bonnykelly Cuminestown, New Leeds, New Deer Hatton, Tarves & Balmedie Cluny, Monymusk, & Sauchen Delgaty and Inverugie Ellon, Whiterashes, New Deer Strichen, Ythan, Inverurie Kintore, Kemnay, Dess, Aboyne, Ballater & Lochnagar Dinnet, Tarland, & Strathdon Banchory, Rhynie & Braemar Huntly, Rathen, Finzean, Banff Gartly, Insch, the Cluny Brig Logie Coldstone, Durris, Keith Lumphanan, Fyvie, Birse and Nigg Boyndie, Dyce and Aberdeen Migvie, Towie, Keig and Slains Fraserburgh, Alford, Echt Portsoy, Kildrummy, Tyrie's Mains Round each road, a tourist's treat Grampian, where hills and heaven meet Jumper's Brig Luikin doon thon dowie drap, far Daith grins Up tae Kelly's cats frae the braw gairdens aneth Ye'll see the trains wheech North Can ye hear the corbies skreich as they ride the wins? Mebbe yer droonin in debt. Nae wirk. Nae hope o wirk Mebbe yer rattlin wi peels dished oot As chemical cosh, tae free up Beds in the psychiatric ward (We canna hae ye cloggin up the system It's yer human richt tae beg fur pence in the street Widn't ye rather be oot on yer lug on yer ane Than keepit in a ward an luikit eftir?) Mebbe yer gyte wi depression Mebbe ye've tint yer dearie (The busy fowk gaun by ken naethin o yer misfortune An care even less this braw bricht sunny day.) The deid space pus ye doon Willin ye, lowp…cam on….it wad be sae easy Willin ye ontae the tracks, an sweet oblivion Cannie! Grip ticht the blaik cat's thrapple Steady. The meenit passes Step back. Re-jyne the weel-balanced fowk o the toon. Pent on a smile. Think o the sottar ye'd makk On the rails aneth, the cost Tae the public purse o scrapin ye up. Ye mauna be selfish, ye ken. Ye maun think o ithers A Scots Owerset o ‘Encounter' by Czeslaw Milosz We wis ridin ower jeeled parks in a cairt at daybrakk. A reid wing raise in the derk An o a suddenty a bawd ran ben the road. Ane o us pynted tae it wi his haun. Thon wis lang syne. The noo, neither o them is leevin, Nae the bawd, nor the cheil fa pynted his haun. O ma luv, far are they, far are they gaun The glisk o haun, straik o meevement, reeshle o stanes. I speir, nae oot o sorra, bit in dumfounerment The Two Seater Whisky, whisky, the dram's the thing Tae caa the waas o Jericho doon Maisie McGinty's bra stap's slipped Her halo's tummlit aroon her croon Whisky whisky, Ewan's sporran's Aa skweejee, an his neb is reid His bowtie's runkled, his sark's jurmummled His hair is huddrie on his ginger heid Whisky, whisky, it's a teaser Raises the will an takks it awa Twa fowk bosyin fine an cosyin Ower blin fu tae attempt ta-ta