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  • Merle on a Rowan
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Merle on a Rowan

David Purdie

Pit claes is waffin on the line,
sinlicht’s keekin ower the bing;
merle on a rowan singin fine.

A braw souch’s blawin, aathin’s fine,
an wi the merle I stert tae sing;
pit claes is waffin on the line.

Himsel wull be hame ony time,
frae pit mirk, stour an dunt an ding;
merle on a rowan singin fine.

He’s late the day, that man o mine …
Ach! dinna lat ma thochts tak wing,
no wi pit claes on the line!

Bit … Da wis late, yon shift lang syne,
o seiren’s gowl and deid bell’s ring,
an merles on rowans singin fine …

Dod! – that’s him nou – eik up the byne;
afore the hairth, his claen sark hing:
pit claes is waffin on the line;
merle on a rowan singin fine.


David Purdie

from The Biggers and other poems (Dunbar: Calder Wood Press, 2008)

Reproduced by permission of the author.

Tags:

birds mining Scots Scots villanelles
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David Purdie1940 - 2019

David Purdie was a joiner and insurance agent who wrote and translated poetry into Scots.
More about David Purdie

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