Pandora's Box (24 Poems In Scots) Poem by Sheena Blackhall

1.The Moo Bar, Buccleuch Street, Edinburgh

Fin wud bands roar oot reggae, hip-hop, techno
A bull fair suits this barry Embro boozer
Nae china-shop tip-taein ower the fleer
This Moo Bar's nae a howf fur auld-fart fogies
Wi mair froth roon their chooks than ower their beer.

Mithras Rules, Ok? Here, Caesar's Legions
In this Mithraeum micht cowp copious doon
Wi ither ghaists, fine wine.. Fa micht be suppin
Alangside custom frae the toun an goun?

Braw Brodie, in his satin flooery sark,
Fa bauldly stated at his public hingin
That daith wis 'jist a sma lowp in the dark'

Takk tent ye Embro worthies, foo the feet
Are dinged fae aa, sae makk yer boozin sweet
An dauchle bi the Meadows fur a jar
Ambrosia's on tap, in the Moo Bar.


2.Scunnered Dug

Aathin in Crivie's fishy.
The scunnered dug,
Face like a skelped erse,
tail like rats' sookins
Is weirin thon ettin an spewed luik.

Even the washin wallops like the waves
Dulse guffs in puils like broth that's ten days auld
On ilkie secunt waa's a grinnin cat.


3.Fitty Madonna

Weirin a skurrie hat,
Flanked bi twa fishgutters,
(Nae a smile atween them, a gurly trinity)
The Fitty Madonna an friens glower at the dour Nor Sea.

Her triangular dugs hing doon
They've bin throwe the wringer, same's hersel
Like berry bags they are, near tae her knees
Milk lang dry, sooked teem o exultation.

Blytheness squeezed tae the lees bi the coorse Sizzens
The tcyauve o warsslin fishes frae the myavs,
Fitty Madonna niver cracks a smile.


4.Scottish Beach

Pirn taes splash an cauld queats striddle
Puils far minky littlins piddle

Skinnie-malinkie-lang-legs stride
Far the contermaschious tide
Coories roon goose-pimply fowk
Syne ebbs, tae leave a dreepin dowp

Here ae meenit, gaen the neist
The restless sea that canna reist.


5.Sang o a Blue Siren

Wheesht siren, stop yon sabbin maen
That sailor's ken on nichts o haar
Fan the great cauldron o the Deep
Sens storm tae blinn each skinklin star

Nae flooer briers on yer showdin rigs
Anely the ice far oceans sweel
The cauldrife spray far skurries skirl
That seamen brave, tae catch a meal

Nae perfume rises frae yer foun
Anely the stank o rotten banes
Nae tree sweys sweetly in yer thrall
Bit coral reefs an schmoodery stanes

Wheesht siren, sic a sooch as thon
On sic a nicht, will widdas makk
Fin ower doomed mastheids rowes the wecht
Wersh, wersh, o fathoms o hertbrakk


6.This Fine Spring Day

This fine Spring Day
A blackie weirin his Mey feathers
Hops alang a neukit, nerra pathie
Shrubby an reefed wi petals

He is watchin a mither an littlin
Feedin fower dyeuks in a puil
He is wytin fur skirps o breid
Tae float his wye

On the cusp o the warld
I watch him watchin
I am wytin fur this an thon
Tae catch ma fancy...

The blackie powkin the breid like a kebbab
A bumbee ringin a bluebell wi his feet


7.April, Abyne-Braemar

Fite swans like ice floes ower the loch
Waucht ower a tarn as clear as glaiss
The muir is sere, she's yet tae weir
Her Mey-day braas, her Springtime dress.

The prods o Lochnagar staun pure's
A ptarmigan in winter plumes
His pinions skinkle ben the lift
His briest's far the cauld snawflake blooms

Broon turrets o the mowdie's tower
(thon sable king in velveteen)
Rise up abeen the wyvin girse
Far steps the stag in horned sheen.

Reid Heilan kye like ricks o hey
Staun rikkin far cauld breezes blaa
Atween the birks, crined drappit leaves
Like iron arras, roost awa

By knottit aik an scraggy whin
The ram-stam watters o the Dee
Rin brack-neck ower the reamin linn
Swalled wi the thawin Winter's bree.

Saft rubbits rin like flocks o lambs
Ower Heilan knowes far erne's flee
Fite-taiglit yowes reenge heather howes
They bleat far burns blink bonnily
Spring flings her saft plaid ower the lan
An warms it wi her witcherie


8.Round the Bend

Ye'll catch a glisk o it, betimes, the wirm aneth the road
Far larry, buggie, bus an van roar by wi stoorie load

Auld bodach, mither, shopper, bairn that wauk the city street
Step saftly roon thon lowly wirm, ower seen his fiers ye'll meet.


9.Rooster-Rap

Tuck tuck tucky tucky
tuck tuck tuck
Cluck cluck clucky clucky
cluck cluck cluck
Scrit scrat flip flap
peckin roon the yird
I'm a wee reid rooster
I'm a hip-hop bird

Fermyaird Claik
Foo's yer hens?
Ay layin.
Foo's yer dyeuk?
Ay Quackin
Foo's yer wife?
Ay nyitterin
Foo's yer bairns?
Ay wintin
Foo's yersel?
Dinna speir
End o tether?
Dam't near!


10.Ritual

It gies yer hairt a lift, like a kittly wirm gaun roon it,
The bairn, takkin its name, the meenister's haun abune it.

It pits a lump in the throat, the bride in her waddin goun,
The groom in his plaid an kilt, kirk fu fae tap tae foun.

It brings a greet tae the ee as ye staun wi the lave
The stoor as it strukks the timmer. The auld wirds ower the grave.

The rituals that fowk live bi, in temple, mosque or kirk
Tend tae the rites o passage, sma lichts throw the pit mirk


11.Simmer's Carousel

Brummil buss an gowden breem,
skail ower knowes o elfin green
Swippert swift wi forkit tail,
soars far smuchterin shooeries sail
Breistin mist-entaiglit knowes,
fleein heich ower preen- prick yowes

Clover hauds its lichen lair.
Bens wauk up their Heivenly stair
June, wi wattergaw an spell,
birls in Simmer's Carousel


12.Lochan in the Widded Glen

Lochan in the Widded glen,
luggin in tae clishmaclavers
Wheeplin wagtail's airy trysts,
dimplin watter's weety havers
Ye hae seen the lowes o dawn,
licht the spindrift centuries
Cauldrife Autumn teem the boughs,
shakkin Simmer's certainties

Yoam o breem ye bring tae me,
showdin larick's rare perfume
In this meenit whaur I staun
tween the cradle an the tomb

Can ye cowp the mountain ower?
Ding doon thunner wi a door?
Blaad sic blythness gin ye daur!
Nochtie man's bit pish an stoor.


13.Pandora's Box

Hae ye a braw Pandora's box?
Takk tent an keep it snibbit
Best leave't alane, some things by-gaen
are nae fur the lang-nebbit

Fur gin ye open't tae the warld,
let lowse yer secret faats
Tae the fower airts, tae win them back
is waur nur herdin cats


14.Fragments o Sappho

This foreneen, widdershins
I wauked intae yestreen
Inno a park o corn as heich's ma chin
A littlin, fair bumbazed its gowden hair
Its teenie moos war fusperin this an thon

I wauked on in a dwaum
Like a thocht gaun barfit doon tae unquaet sleep
Oot far the blaik trees dovered like huddrie hoolets
Fu o storm in the warld's merriematanzie
The deep soun o its days.

Grey bawd wis a lang-lugged quine
Vanishin inno the dowp o her ain shadda
At the tail eyn o the year
Makk her darin lowp withoot a glent o fear

I maun wauk alane
Inno the teem airt Granminnie left ahin.
Her daith brocht winter, pain
Oh, like the meen, fu sair I lang fur seelence!

Her wyceness cam fae the wyver fa vrocht her shroud
Wi moosewabs happin her corp richt weel
Granminnie...coracle, cradle
Bield fae the chunnerin derk
Nae dweeble like a bodach.
Nae fooshionless as ague
Ma bairntime hinney-store.
A seannachie o pouer, her wirds cud thrall
She wis a hollow skull o mony dwaums
I masel thrum yet, wi her kent echoes
Her sans rin ben ma teemin glaiss o oors
reeshlin ben the rigs somelike Rapunzels


15.Villanelle: The Stemless Derk

Jist fin the stemless derk dwines inno nicht
Granmither's lowe wad flichter in the grate
Sae comfortin a glent o frienly licht

Auld furniture is biggit tae affricht
The clock, turned ghaistly as the oors grew late
Brocht bairn-like flegs I wis ower wee tae fecht

She'd mummle prayers, her thoomb wad my tears dicht
She'd lull me tae a dwaumy, cosie state
Nae angel iver held a shield sae ticht.

Aince doon a pitmerk knowe, a burnie, slicht
0 water did a crag illuminate
Throwe hags of bog a threid of sheenin bricht

Ae gloamin I wis socht, tae ma delicht
Wi rowth o heich heid-yins tae congregate
Ootlinned bi natur, I bedd ooto sicht,

Ae chiel wis couthie. Kent aa wisnae richt.
He smiled at me abeen the siller plate
Jist fin the stemless derk dwines inno nicht
Sae comfortin a glent o frienly licht!


16.St Machar's Kirkyaird on a New Year's Day

Birds fae cloud an tree cam flichterin doon
The winged parishioners o Machar's kirk
The congregation o the nascent year
Takk up their ordnar pews o beech an birk.

Fae Seaton's wids the peacefu cooshie doo
Curmurs, while reid-nebbed deevilick hoodie craas
Merk oot a hirplin rubbit's low road hame
Rochlin their hudderie feathers on grey waas

Cistercian flakes o sna fae Heiven's fauld
Doondrap abeen the raws o moulderin deid
They hap an angel's lap wi skinklin cauld
Raxxin its wings ootower baith coorse an gweed

A sleekit spider bids doon fae its wab
That staps the moo o Ceres teemin jug
An naethin steers in this aul-farrant warld
Far ghaists o Machar fusper in yer lug.

I cast a shadda ower ma great-gransire
His shadda casts a langer inbye me
We baith are reeted tae this Norlan neuk
Deid fermer-chiel an his dour progeny


17.The Crucifixion of the Coquette

Atween the darnin an the cookin
Love ran aff fin she wisnae luikin
Thon's the cross she has tae bear
She's bin had an he disnae care.


18.Fit the Pict Stane Said

Here, beginneth the lesson o the Pictish stane:
Ayont the corruption o flesh
Ayont the lowes o Autumn
Rockabye orchards dwaum
In their sweet, fite chaumer

Mute, in the aipple's core
Aa mortal ferlies turn
In the sizzen's crucible o frost
The grun's weird alchemy

Ooto the hail's jeel, ooto the win's wull
Sucklin the breist o the brae
Ferms an femlies growe fae runes an banes.
By starnie, hoolet, bluid,
By the grace o the woundit glaur, that keeps the corn
By the kennin o quick an deid

May signs an bumbazements
Niver lose their wunner
May wattergaw an thunner
Foriver staun their cats' een throwe the dark
Tho snaaflauchts gaither heich ower toun an lan


19.Gloamin

Saft in the glysterie gloamin, the ghaists o tummelt trees
Sough in the greenwid's crannies far hoolets tak their ease

Laigh wi the furlin adder, wi moss their branches jyne
Far the reests o merle an hoolet their cloudy memories tyne

There, gollachs horned an scaley, swippert an swack an slee,
Nest in the rotten timmers, the deid trees' tenantry.


20.Pluscarden fae Heldon Knowe

Heich on Heldon knowe
Bi the vaults o the leverick's Heiven
A mavis poors its passion
Inno the listenin lugs o muckle beech trees

Reeshlin thegither in aisles o green an broon.
Rich hey parks swey. By Netherbyre
Twa pheasants brakk fae the girse
0 this Haly howe like papal prelates
Vestments gowd an reid.

Wast o the kirk streek oot the Abbey's deid
Neth matchstick crosses.

The size o chessmen, leevin brithers hyow
Their kail an tatties, swallin peas an neeps
Turn ower the yird like bannocks in the pan
Tend thyme an parsley, rosemary an mint
Like eident bees their hinney's hairsted here.

Nets, like tents o moosewabs
Hap young fruit. Geans brier on showdin trees
Eirde yields her bounty up, fulls pod an pot.
June haps the grun wi sun, coddles grey waas wi licht.
Shaddas play tig far nestin corbies skreich
Their twiggy lairs biggt inno dizzy crannies
A poppies bleezes up in a stand o nettles.
Dykes, wechtit wi ivy, smore in the stoory heat.
Cars slip in an oot the speeritual equation
Centuries mell like smush. Fowk pye fur plants
Day-trippers cheek-bi-jowl wi ghaists o sancts.


21.Wids

The wids are hideyholes for tods,
Squirrels an hoolets, hawks an bawds
For beasts that creep an climm an flee
The wids are Natur's sanctuary.

Ooto the reenge o man an gun
Broch snochers grumphy ben the grun
Far fern showds an nettle stings
An blackie flaps her sable wings
In the derk leafy taps o trees
The rainbow dovers wi the breeze.

Here wabbit thunner seeks a reest
Deep in the deepest widlan's breist
Here gurly gale an raindrap bide
An muckle stormclouds rin an hide

This is their bolt-hole an their bield
Here they creep in fae Ben an field
Tae rest awhile till treetaps shakk
Till boughs wi breengin breezes brakk
An storms roar oot fae their green lair
Tae skelp yer claes an lift yer hair!


22.Impermanence

The broon-backed watter in the burn,
Rins bibblin brakk-neck ower a stane,
Like my wud thochts that ramstam breenge
Ben the derk corries o my brain.

I watch the burn in peaty puils,
Its clashin tongue turned quate's the mools,
An ane bi ane my racin thocht,
Ferfochan, dwines an cams tae nocht,
Like wechty draps o weety rain,
That flash in passin, syne are gaen.


23.Mairtinmas in Buchan

A beef-breet roars an anthem tae the God
0 Mairtinmas, that governs hairsts an Sizzens
Its lowin wauchts ootower the misty ley
Tae thon stinch hoose fas steeple prods the Heivens.

Abune the sookin glaur that hauds my fit
French hauf-breeds roar, late aff a cattle float
Twa new-weaned calves, incomers fae the North
Skirl mitherless an tint. Their fey French bluid
Crossed wi a hummle-heidit douce Scots breed
That dwaums an moos an keechs an chaws the cweed

Timmer gates wi towe are wippit roon
Tae keep the nowt inower their ferm toun
Ben stoory, hauf-licht byre, blae doos curmur.
Like rikkin kettles hotterin in a neuk
The hairy nowt chaw strae, wheech tails an glower
Their tongues raxx oot, some sappy hey tae sook.
Each ee neth ilkie curly powe is framed
Bi rowth o lashes. Sharny dowps an shanks
Turn tail far Robin reests on shilpit shanks

Sleet, late yestreen drapped bi the winter's meen
Lies douce in bowls o glaur alang the park
The road is ruttit puils o dubby bree
The sycamore sits in its winter sark
Chitterin aside the stibble-bristly park
Nyaakit o aa bit timmer-runkled bark.

Sma wechts o singin blossom, feathery neebors
On swippert wings flee aff, a heeze o cheepers
Hoodie craas, riggt oot in Sabbath blaiks
Far wizzent breem showds cauldly in the sheugh
Preen meenisterial braas wi Roman beaks
Powk girsly dauds o carrion, dry an teuch.

The steadin lum, teem noo o grey peat-rikk' s
A reest far jackdaas news an raxx their wings.
A riven trunk o elm that's claucht in twa's
The alter-staa far couthie spurgie sings.

Forcey wins hae herdit latchy leaves,
Doon tae the lair they'll haud till resurrection.
Phone-lines criss-cross abeen the girsy brae
Like Pisky Bishops makkin benediction.

Spears o frost shape-chynge tae pirls o dyew
Thrissle's tint its croon. Its preeny orb
Jogs bi a steely line o barbit wire.
It wytes fur Spring's saft braith tae rise anew.

Moss haps a rodden's side like velveteen
Lichen creeps ben whorls an wrunkled snorls
0 branchin boughs, wi plaid o Lincoln green.
The lang rigs raxx hyne aff tae ferms unseen

Doon-drappit tattie shaas on cauld rigs streekit
Lie far the lan wi hap o cloud is theekit
Ower sheughs far frostit rubbit hunkers doon
The skyrie pheasant trails his Sultan's goun
Aneth a blearie, ither-warldy sun
Auld Autumn's beens gyang hirplin ower the grun.


24.Chyned Yett

I chyned the yett o a corn park
A corn park far a corbie flew
Tae bar the storm an the eildrich dark
Fae liftin the sneck an wirmin throwe

Noo, foriver the rabbit's fit
Gaes dirdin ower the flooery braes
Noo, foriver, the bumbees flit
In the sunsheen yoam o simmer days

I chyned the yett o a corn park
Ringed bi wids an the yalla whin
The bairn that tummles amang the stooks
Will bide foraye in a littlin's skin