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  • Andra on November 30th
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Andra on November 30th

Stuart A. Paterson

The day’s the day we celebrate
wur Middle Eastern halie saint,
a fisherman fae Galilee
revered bi kirk an Holy See.

The patron saint o spinsters, gout,
fishmongers, singers, maids, sair throats,
Barbados, Russia, Scotland Greece,
Amalfi an the Gowden Fleece.

Christ’s first disciple, fond o crowdie,
his crucifixion heelster-gowdie,
we wullnae see his likes again –
we saw him no at aa back then.

Saint Andra o the Blessed Beuk,
as Scottish as a Heelan Duke,
yer shooder blade’s in Embra noo.
At least we’ve seen a bit o you.


Stuart A. Paterson

From heelster-gowdie / beul-fo-bhonn by Marcas Mac an Tuarneir and Stuart A. Paterson (Tapsalteerie, 2017).

Tags:

BBC Scotland Poet in Residence 2017 holidays religion St Andrews

About this poem

The poem was broadcast as part of the BBC Radio Scotland St. Andrew’s Night Concert from the Scottish Conservatoire, on 30 November, 2017.

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Stuart A. Patersonb.1966

Stuart A. Paterson is a Scottish poet and performer, who was appointed the Scots Language Centre's Virtual Poet in Residence 2015-2016.
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