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
    • Poetry Ambassadors 2020
    • 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
    • Jobs
    • 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
  • >
  • Iain Mac a’ Ghobhainn
    Iain Crichton Smith
  • >
  • In the Liquorice House
Donate Donate icon Ask a Librarian Ask a Librarian icon

In the Liquorice House

Iain Mac a’ Ghobhainn
Iain Crichton Smith

In the liquorice house
there is a liquorice clock
which beats out liquorice time.

In the liquorice house
there are liquorice chairs
on which liquorice people sit.

In the liquorice house
there are liquorice books
which liquorice people read.

In the liquorice lobby
liquorice jackets hang
with empty liquorice sleeves.


Iain Mac a’ Ghobhainn
Iain Crichton Smith

from River, River (Macdonald Publishers, 1978)

Reproduced by kind permission of the Estate of Iain Crichton Smith.

Tags:

home National Poetry Day 2010 poems on postcards suitable for children sweets

About this poem

In the Liquorice House National Poetry Day 2010 postcard

This poem was reproduced on a postcard for National Poetry Day 2010. Eight poetry postcards are published each year by the Scottish Poetry Library to celebrate National Poetry Day and are distributed throughout Scotland to schools, libraries and other venues. The theme for 2010 was home. You can find out more about National Poetry Day in our National Poetry Day pages, where you’ll also find resources to go with the poems.

Share this
Facebook
Twitter
Email

Learn more

Iain Mac a’ Ghobhainn
Iain Crichton Smith1928 - 1998

Iain Crichton Smith was raised on Lewis and much of his poetry is grounded in the strict Presbyterian culture of the island, and his protest against it. He wrote both in Gaelic and English, novels, short fiction and poetry.
More about Iain Mac a’ Ghobhainn
Iain Crichton Smith

Newsletter

Sign up for our regular email newsletter.
Subscribe now

Events

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