Metamorphosis 62 (5 Scots Poems) Poem by Sheena Blackhall

1.The Magic Neep

In Darren's gairden grew a neep
A magic neep as big's a coo
He needed help tae howk it oot
Because it wis ower big tae pu

Sae Darren rugged, his mither rugged,
His sister, granny, brither rugged
It wadna budge. A moosie, stoot
Jyned in. Kerplunk!
The neep popped oot!


2.Spanish Holiday

Maisie Christie flew tae Spain
Because she didna like the rain
She sunbathed on a plastic boat
She flew asleep, an aff did float

A pirate, mermaid, and a seal
Upon the boatie climmed as weel
It sank, sae Maisie had tae sweem
Aa the wye back tae Aiberdeen


3.Astronaut

Astronaut, astronaut, far hae ye been?
I hae bin fleein roon Mars an the Meen

Astronaut, astronaut, fit did ye there?
I peinted a rainbow tae hing in the air.


4.Beasties: (The Aberdeen E.E. ran a Pets' Photo Comp. in 2008)

There is Buffin, she's a cat, frae the Garioch (affa fat)
There's a tod near-haun Milltimmer kent as Basil
There's a ferret frae the coast, wi a pelt like burnt toast
There's budgie ooto Bucksburn wi a whizzle
There's a hamster bred fur fame, William Wallace is its name
There's a rubbit nearby Banff fa's christened Mia
There is Hamish frae Fintry, (an auld Spaniel, kinda fey)
There is Digit frae the Denburn, a chinchilla

There's a huddrie guinea pig, ye wad sweir she weirs a wig
There's a tortoise up bi Boddom caad 'The Gonk'
There's a sheltie frae Kintore, wi its moo raxxed in a roar
Bit the stoater o them aa's Ichi the skunk.

Fa wad be a beastie judge? Fowk are keen tae haud a grudge
Ae bairn's moosie is anither body's vermin
Bit twid be a puirer place, wi-oot pets tae clap an chase
An tae bosie, kittle, news till, I am certain!


5. Warlock o Balwearie: Michael Scot

Born in Balwearie, Fife, the scientist
And warlock, Michael Scot, had mony skills
He wis pairt doctor and pairt alchemist
His pouer cut in three the Eildon hills
Bridled the River Tweed wi curb o stane
An jyled the plague wi as its orra ills.
(His Buik o Shaddas, fur his ee alane
Brocht terror fin a servant luiked inby
As frae its pages Deils stept, makkin mane)

This warlock measured space frae kirk tae sky
Spakk Latin, Arabic, French, German, Greek
Sae for his service, Scotlan's king did cry
Tae gyang tae Paris, there an audience seek
Wi the French King tae gar thon Prince agree
That pirates wad nae mair their coffers steek
Stap fu o treisur ryped frae Scots at sea.

The warlock on his shelt that self-same nicht
Lowpt ower tae France as faist as arras flee
Tae argyie Scotlan's case, an gie the fricht
That aa the kirk bells in Paree wad ring
Fin his shelt struck the grunn wi aa its micht.

A secunt strike, an French kirk spires he'd ding
Doon tae the yird, tae rummle in the stoor.
Afore the third hoof-beat gart Michael fling
The hale toun in the dubs, he won the oor.

Sae steeped in the Blaik airts, he won a place
In Dante's Hell, he wis Auld Clootie's spoor.
Fin this dreid warlock quit the human race
His Moorish buik o secrets wis interred
At Melrose Abbey, wi his mortal aisse
Laird o the occult, potentates conferred
Honours on him. Yet, fin his weird he dreed
Daith wis the Greater, had the hinmaist wird.