Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, A WHEEN AUL' MEMORIES: 4. GARTSHERRIE, by JANET HAMILTON


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

A WHEEN AUL' MEMORIES: 4. GARTSHERRIE, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Noo I'll dauner awa' up by carlincraft burn
Last Line: May gude gi'e them gumption their wages tae spen'.
Alternate Author Name(s): Hamilton, Janet Thompson
Subject(s): Change; Memory; Past


Noo I'll dauner awa' up by Carlincraft Burn,
An' roun' by auld Hornock I'll tak' a bit turn,
Sae lown an' sae lanely that wee cosie neuk,
To think what they've made o't I canna weel bruck.

The auld warl' dwallin' had a muckle clay brace,
An' a lum whaur the stars glintit doun i' yer face
As ye sat by the fire; to the blue licht abune
Ye micht glower through the reek at the bonny hairst mune.

There was Carlincraft Jock an' his queer tittie Meg,
Wha caretna the warl' nor its fashions a feg,
Jock's hoose had nae door but a stane prappit broad,
Roun' whilk would come snokin' slee Lowrie the tod.

Noo the bodies are gane an' their dwallin's awa'
An' the place whaur they stood I scarce ken noo ava,
For there's roarin' o' steam an' there's reengin' o' wheels,
Men workin', an' sweatin', an' swearin' like deils.

An' the flame-tappit furnaces staun' in a raw,
A' bleezin' an' blawin' an' smeekin' awa',
Their eerie licht brichtenin' the laigh hingin' cluds,
Gleamin' far ower the loch an' the mirk lanely wuds.

Noo, mark ye, the ashes, the dross, an' the slag—
Wad ye think it was they put the win' i' the bag
O' the big millionaires; that 'mang danners an' cinners,
The Co. should ha'e gather't sic millions o' shiners?

Yet sic is the case, an' lang may they bruck
The gear they ha'e won, they've had mair than gude luck.
They've gi'en kirks, they've gi'en schules, an' gude pay to their men—
May Gude gi'e them gumption their wages tae spen'.





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