A contemporary poem in Scots, ´Lambing in Easter Ross´ by Billy Kay

 

Anither day´s dawin
on the stibbled parks
abuin Dornoch´s caller watters.
In the park o the new born,
brockie faced lambkins
lowp, stacher an totter
ahint the buirdly shanks
o hooseproud yowes
playin an soukin.

Glisked abuin the
muirlan braes o Struie
a formation
o seagulls
splicin white stucco
in the mornin blue o the lift.

The faa wes free
the wings wes swept
an the crack
o the brockie´s craig
wes quaet
claught
in a forlorn frisk
that landit
gralloched
wi the ruggin
o six beaks,
fleain awa
caain
in a flauchter
o reid, white an yella.
Twa scarlet trails
belly an thrapple,
efterbirth, efterlife.

In the park o the unborn
aa is still.

Billy Kay (1951-     )



Glossary:
caller; fresh
brockie faced; black and white
lowp;leap
buirdly;solid
yowe;ewe
lift;sky claught;gripped
craig;neck
quaet;quiet
thrapple;throat
gralloched;disembowelled
ruggin;tearing


From the anthology Scottish Literature in the Twentieth Century, (Scottish Cultural Press) edited by David McCordick. Copyright Billy Kay, All Rights Reserved
www.billykay.co.uk