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  • Sheila Templeton
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  • Sir Walter Scott
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Sir Walter Scott

Sheila Templeton

Fain wud ah hae pentit ye in a roch licht,
scunnert at aa yer on-cairry, that biggin up
o tartan lore, sic a fause freen tae Scotland’s story,
the fantoush moniments erected in yer nem
a muckle gryte Tory aa yer days –
an whit were ye thinkin, pittin the keeng intae pink hose?
But ach, Wattie Scott, 1st Baronet, ah canna fin it
in ma hert tae tak a richt ull-wull at ye. Ah see ye
jist a loonickie, hyterin roon Edinburgh’s wynds,
causey-stanes jarrin that withered shank
contermit tae waak lik onie ither laddie
– an waak ye did, full o that guid Borders’ air
whaur ye sookit up sic glamourie, sic tales 
o Reiver derring-do, lamgamachies o hert-sairs,
richteous fecht, thrang wi aathing ye held dear.
Ye gied us scrievin the lik the warld hud never seen
peyin heed tae ordinar fowk, as weel as keengs an prences. 
Aye an bairns kittle up yet at Rob Roy Macgregor
hale an fere, loupin mischancy athort his Perthshire heather,
at Wilfred of Ivanhoe, mairryin his richtfu bride, Rowena.
An yer first luve aye yer poesie, bricht wirds, their green sap
niver gizzent; vyce aye the chunner o a tumblin burn. 
Yer wirds vrutten noo in stane on Holyrood’s wa. 
I’m gled o that. Gled ye’re there. 


Sheila Templeton

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Scots Walter Scott 250

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Sheila Templeton

Sheila Templeton writes in Scots and English. She was nominated in 2020 for a Scottish Writer of the Year Award. Her poetry has won prizes in various competitions- the McCash Scots Language, the McLellan and Neil Gunn Poetry awards....
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