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Place: Edinburgh

from The Wee Raggit Laddie to the Laird of Blackford Hill - by James Ballantine

{ Poem }

Stout Laird o’ Blackford Hill, let me
/ But gain your honour’s lug a wee,
/ I fain wad let your lairdship see
/ …

Betrayal in Morninside - by Donald Campbell

{ Poem }

Embro my ain, ye are aye meant
/ tae be a city o middle-class douceness
/ …

Cougate Revisited - by Donald Campbell

{ Poem }

“Aa ony o us ever wantit was a hoose in Jeffrey Street”
/ – Old lady, reminiscing on her life in the…

The Daft-Days - by Robert Fergusson

{ Poem }

Now mirk December’s dowie face
/ Glowrs owr the rigs wi sour grimace,
/ While, thro’ his minimum of space,
/ …

from Auld Reikie - by Robert Fergusson

{ Poem }

… Now morn, with bonny purpie-smiles,
/ Kisses the air-cock o’ St Giles;
/ Rakin their een, the servant lasses
/ Early begin their lies and…

Assynt and Edinburgh - by Norman MacCaig

{ Poem }

From the corner of Scotland I know so well
/ I see Edinburgh sprawling like seven cats
/ on its seven hills beside…

‘Quhy will ye, merchantis of renoun’ - by William Dunbar

{ Poem }

Quhy will ye, merchantis of renoun,
/ Lat Edinburgh, your nobill toun,
/ For laik of reformatioun
/ The commone proffeitt tyine, and…

Embra buses - by Stephanie Green

{ Poem }

I like tae sit at the front of the bus
/ and keek through the hole
/ at the driver’s heid.
/ As he pulls on…

If Leaving You - by Maud Sulter

{ Poem }

our blackness
a bond
before speech
or encounter

For the Opening of the Scottish Parliament, 9 October 2004 - by Edwin Morgan

{ Poem }

Open the doors! Light of the day, shine in; light of the mind, shine out!
/ We have a building which is…

Meadow Lane Riffs, Edinburgh - by Stephanie Green

{ Poem }

A punk thistle with mauve mohican
/ nods to its own beat and the riff of leaves,
/ traffic, sirens and sea-gulls.
/
/ Buccleugh Parish School…

from Dumb Show, With Candles - by Robin Robertson

{ Poem }

Now the night has fallen, Edinburgh comes alight
/ as if each building’s shell
/ has a fire inside that burned. The follies
/ –…

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