The Seely Howe (Scots Poems) Poem by Sheena Blackhall

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