Skip to content

Scottish Poetry Library

Register/Sign in
Shopping Bag Shopping Bag
Bringing people and poems together
  • Home
  • Poetry
    • Poets
    • Poems
    • Makar – National Poet
      • Our Waking Breath: A Poem-letter from Scotland to Ukraine
      • A Woman’s A Woman
      • The story of the Makar – National Poet of Scotland
    • Best Scottish Poems
    • Spiorad an Àite
      Spirit of Place
    • The Trysting Thorns
    • Poetry Ambassadors
      Tosgairean na Bàrdachd
      • Poetry Commissions: Walter Scott 250
        Coimiseanan Bàrdachd: Walter Scott 250
      • Poetry Ambassadors 2021
    • Posters
    • Podcasts
  • Library
    • Become a borrower
    • Catalogue
    • Collections
    • Ask a librarian
    • Copyright enquiries
  • Learning
    • SQA set texts
    • Learning resources
    • Designing sensory poetry activities
    • Children’s poems in Scots
    • National Poetry Day archive
    • New to poetry?
    • Advice for poets
  • Events
    • What’s On
    • Meeting rooms and venue hire
    • Exhibitions
  • Shop
    • Poetry Highlights
    • Entropie Books
    • Stichill Marigold Press
    • Poems for Doctors, Nurses & Teachers
    • Scottish Poetry
    • Poetry Pamphlet Cards
    • Help
  • About us
    • Our story
    • Our people
    • Company Papers & Policies
    • Our projects
    • Our building
    • FAQs
    • Find us
  • Support us
    • Become a Friend
    • Donate
  • Blog
Shopping BagShopping Bag
Ask a librarian
  • Home
  • >
  • Poetry
  • >
  • Meg Bateman
  • >
  • Am Bogsa-Litrichean
Donate Donate icon Ask a Librarian Ask a Librarian icon

Am Bogsa-Litrichean

Meg Bateman

Dh’fhan mo litir ris a’ phosta,
oidhche Shathairne, oidhche Dhòmhnaich,
ràinig i Dùn Èideann, chaidh a fosgladh,
sheas i greiseag air a’ phiàna;

Ach tha mo chridhe fhathast
mar am bogsa-litrichean tron oidhche –
crò-dhearg, do-fhaicsinneach,
làn fios nach gabh lìbhrigeadh.


Meg Bateman

Meg Bateman, ‘Am Bogsa-Litrichean / The Pillar-Box’ from Soirbheas (Polygon, 2007), by permission of the publisher

Tags:

Gaelic Gaelic national poetry day 2016 Translations

Translations of this Poem

The Pillar-Box

My card waited for the postman,
Saturday night, Sunday night,
arrived in Edinburgh, was opened,
stood a while on the piano;

But my heart is still
like the pillar-box through the night –
unseen, red-raw,
full of undeliverable messages.

Source: Meg Bateman, ‘Am Bogsa-Litrichean / The Pillar-Box’ from Soirbheas (Polygon, 2007), by permission of the publisher

About this poem

This poem is one of the 8 printed on poem cards and distributed to libraries and participating schools across Scotland for National Poetry Day 2016.

Share this
Facebook
Twitter
Email

Learn more

Meg Batemanb.1959

Meg Bateman has been bringing new qualities to Gaelic poetry since her first publications in the 1990s.
More about Meg Bateman

Events

Discover our poetry events at the library & online.
Find forthcoming Events

Podcasts

Our audio programme of poets, poems and news for you to listen to.
Listen Now
  • Newsletter signup
  • Accessibility
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
Scottish Poetry Library
5 Crichton's Close, Canongate
Edinburgh EH8 8DT
Tel: +44 (0)131 557 2876
© Scottish Poetry Library 2022.
The Scottish Poetry Library is a registered charity (No. SCO23311).
City of Edinburgh logo Green Arts Initiative logo Creative Scotland logo
Scottish Poetry Library