Watergaw - Complete Poems

Watergaw

Sleekit broon hair
She cowped me ower
Wi her lown muckle een

But the coories were cauld
So she went to the warld
And she left me alane

The muin at midnicht minds me o ma lass
Her hair siller an tousie noo
As a think o her
Unner the watergaw

by Alison Stirling
(Kirkcaldy High School)


Oot in the Middle o Naewye

The middle o naewye is
Broon like plood parks
The soon o the wind driftin ower the braes
The smell o the clean cut girse
The taste o the reek yoamin oot the lum
Oot in the middle o naewye wee nithin ti dee
Bit this is ma hoose
Richt oot in the country

by Robert Legge
(Banff Academy)


Then and noo

Ma mither ay says “in ma day…”,
There wis this, that, an the ither,
Ma mither ay says “fan I wis young…”,
Bit I just began tae wander,
Wis it a that great and wonderful,
Or wis it just a bleeter?

Fan she wis a quine she watched,
Play schuil, He-man and Grange Hill,
Her tv ay finished at five o’clock just afore supper,
But I’ve got channel a day lang,
An can waatch him o’er an o’er,

At schuil she hid a chalk board,
Nae computer o her ain,
At playtime she got milk in a bag wi a blue straw that wis still warm,
She played skipping on hopscotch an British bulldog afore it got banned,
Nae bidy waatched o’er them in the playgrun they could be trusted,

Fan I’m at schuil I get smartboards,
The world wide web at ma finger tips,
I can spik tae somebidy in Germany wi a click o a button,
I’ve got facebook, snapchat an Instagram,
A kins o social media to interact,
But ma mither aften asks fits wrang wi face tae face?

Ma mither aften reminded me,
Fan I used tae play auld records fan I wis wee,
Noo ye can plug in a USB stick or doonload aff the internet,
Aye time changes things it's richt enough,
Bit ane thing fur sure,
The love atween a family'll still niver growe auld farrant.

by Heidi and Isla Wilson
(Keith Grammar School)


Far Shaddas Lurk

Loosome lang locks floating effortlessly ahin ih’ bonnie smile,
O’ a braw woman. Sweeming richt across the fleer o’ ih’ ocean,
Claikin’ wi ither creatures o’ the sea, Selkies, Nessie, Kelpies,
Monster or legend?

Tribal. Tidal. Tail spreadin’, shinin’, soaring past ancient cities,
Far some ca’ hame. Approaching a rock, far she’d comb her hair,
Smilin’ fae east tae west, singin’. On her ain. Chanting.
Freedom tae explore the many stories, the secrets the sea has tae tell

History buried under ih’ weight o’ ih’ ocean, deid.
Purification simmerin’ wi’ stew fae ih’ faain biggins
Some eesed tae admire.
Crushed intae dust. Ah cities turn intae dust.

Fishermen. Deils. Ih real sharks o’ ih water.
Fleggit by ivry net, feert sh’ gits caught.
Sweemin’ sleekit tae steer awa fae death.
Death aroon ivry crannie.

Corpses, sleepin’ on ih’ sea bed,
How lang afore skin becomes bane?
How lang afore bane becomes dust?
Fan abidys’ bodies are left, wi naebidy tae

Put doon floors. Harsh reality. And the wife’s
Looking intae ih’ future, picturing ih’ world they cwid be left wi,
Fan ah humans are deid and their culture is ih’ only thing left.
Ih’ monsters.

by Gianna Thain
(Buckie High School)


Fit why nae?

I dina understan fit why nae?
Why can I nae?
I'll easy manage!
Easy!
"No yi winna," she keeps tellin ma
"Yi'll miss hame too much, an yi'll niver be able ti afford it"
I'd manage!
Bit...dive I wint ti?
Am I jist needin ti go cause she disna wint ma ti?
Am I dein it oot o spite?
I dina ken!
My heart belangs ti Banff...
Bit...my mind belangs ti Glasgae!
I cana stop thinkin aboot it
A the lights
I folk
I freedom!
I mean, aye, she's got a pint bit is she richt?
Dis she aye really ken fits best?
Aye she's ma mither bit she's nae iways richt!
Fit is I dina ging? An regret it?
She winna pit up wee ma moanin! Ats fir certain!
I'd love ti leave bit I'd hate ti leave ina!
I mean, this is hame, ma childhood, ma family, ma life!
Bit...fit if I need a new life?
A different life? A change?
In a way I'll niver ken if I dina try!
Bit can I bring mysell ti try?
She's ma mither...
She's dein athin for ma! Athin!
Dee I really wint ti upset her like is?
"Dee fit yi wint, bit yid be better bidin" she says
Bit I ken ats her wey o sayin nae ti ging
In her een I'm still a bairn
Bit in reality...I'm nae...naewhy near een!
I dina ken...
Will I ging? Will I bide?
Fit dive I wint?
...I dina even ken mysell!

by Kiera Mitchell
(Banff Academy)


Honesty

I see ye there,
in front o me,
yer face, yer een, yer hauns.

I hear ye talk,
i hear ye tell,
yer hope, yer lees, yer dwaums.

I walked wi ye,
a sunlit peth,
thegither haun in haun.

Then gloaman cam,
and ye were gane,
and noo alane i staun.

The wids are cauld,
the trees are bleck,
the daurk is closin in.

And you hiv gone,
awa fae me,
yer faultless licht has dimmed.

Betrayal is a toom space,
raw nicht, cauld room, alane,
and naebdy can redeem your face,
sweet knicht, safe licht, yer gone.

by Rebekah Freeman
(Banff Academy)


Macduff

Hardly naebody is fae Macduff
Black, broon and white
Fit like iday
Seagulls fighting
Fit's on iday
Taste o fish everyday
How you deein
Pick it up and pit it in ma pocket
Did you hear aboot fit happened?

by Michelle Innes
(Banff Academy)