Andra on November 30th
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.
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.
