Slugs
Div slugs ken thay ar universally reviled?
div thair mithers warn thaim,
kep awa frae the beer
an that it’s nae trui fit thay sey aboot saut
it disnae hairden yer arteries.
Or ar thay left tae fen fur thairsels
me an yer paw, we’r fur the guidlife.
Fan A mow the girse
fitwey hae worms nae learnt
kep yer heids doun?
Fur years A’d toss thaim aside
juist tae save thaim frae the blade
but thay nivver developed wings
evolution’s nae aa it’s cracked up tae be
mibbie Darwin haesnae thocht it oot richt.
A ponner thay things as a chyave awaa
Ein Heldenleben’s nae me,
A’m fur the fit sudjer, heid doun
rakin up the girse cuttins fur the slaw decline,
but the spuggies chirp awaa in the buss,
the daffies glint thair ee as A pass
thankfu fur the wee tait seaweed
that kep the slugs at bay.
About this poem
This poem was included in Best Scottish Poems 2014. Best Scottish Poems is an online publication, consisting of 20 poems chosen by a different editor each year, with comments by the editor and poets. It provides a personal overview of a year of Scottish poetry. The editor in 2014 was Roderick Watson.
Author’s note:
I hae aye been fascinated by oor naitural wurld. I delicht noo in slugs an spuggies as muckle as fan I wis a bairn een thou I’ve seen Sea Eagles and edders. Slugs stairts alang the theme o ‘wad some Pow’r the giftie gae us’. Fa really kens hoo ither fowk sees thaim? A bocht a jaiket the ither dey. Wir anither twa cheils luikin at the sem jaikit, ane micht think it ower dear, the ither jalous nae near guid enouch. The ‘in’ wurd aye noo is ‘journey’. Clichèd but true an fit ye aquire on ye’r journey affeks aathin ye see or raed. Slugs haes trevelled awa on its ain journey, ye maun tak it whaur it’ll gang.
