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  • A Dream o the Gairden
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A Dream o the Gairden

Brian Holton

Hoodit angels flaffin by like craws o licht,
pear trees reishin, the waff o yalla roses, 
the soun o greitin i the nicht,
the dirl o a lassie's finger on skin, 
the saft taste o kisses i the simmer dim.
An auld dream -
a dream o the thing at cuts an dives, 
beats abune the bummin drone o our lifes,
birls an cuts an grips the hairt, 
trumpets out abune the horns o the flesh,
dances us out o the dream o life
ti life itsel.
It'll rise frae its ain grund,
an urlar o majestie an dreid,
throu leumluadh, torluadh, crunnluadh a mach, 
speirin out the grund in aa its disguises,
seekin the grund i the hairt o the varyins, 
the grund ablow the graith,
the yirth ablow the roses,
the mools ablow the feckless wastrie o the flouers.
A'd gar it soun,
gar't dirl i the dowff lugs o the warld,
yon auldest o tunes,
the sang o the gairden.
Singin or sung,
ayont the day or the morn or lang lang syne,
yont dykes or hedges, burrals an bauks,
yont dreamer or dream, piper or tune:
the sang o the gairden,
gowden an green
owre the lang greitin gless,
the deep drone o time.

Brian Holton

Reproduced with permission from the author.

Tags:

21st century poems gardens Scots
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man with short grey hair and glasses, wearing a red checked shirt and brown leather jacket is standing in front of a light coloured harled wall

Brian Holton

Brian Holton has published 20 books of translated poetry. He has won prizes for his own poetry in Scots and for his translations into both Scots and English.
More about Brian Holton

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