Skip to content

Scottish Poetry Library

Register/Sign in
Shopping Bag Shopping Bag
Bringing people and poems together
  • Home
  • COVID-19
    • Re-Opening FAQ
  • Poetry
    • Poems
    • Poets
    • Our National Poet
    • Podcasts
    • Best Scottish Poems
    • Poetry and Mindfulness
    • Champions 2020
    • Posters
    • Publishers
  • Library
    • Become a borrower
    • Catalogue
    • Collections
    • Ask a librarian
    • Copyright enquiries
  • Learning
    • National Poetry Day 2019
    • National Poetry Day archive
    • SQA set texts
    • Learning resources
    • New to poetry?
    • Advice for poets
  • Events
    • Calendar
    • Exhibitions
    • Venue hire
    • List an event
  • Shop
    • Scotland’s Makar
    • Poetry Pamphlet Cards
    • Pocket Poets
    • Scottish Poetry
    • Help
  • About us
    • Our story
    • Our people
    • Our projects
    • Jobs
    • Our building
    • FAQs
    • Find us
  • Support us
    • Become a Friend
    • Donate
    • Easy Fundraising
  • Blog
Shopping BagShopping Bag
Ask a librarian
  • Home
  • >
  • Poetry
  • >
  • Lewis Spence
  • >
  • The Prows o’ Reekie
Donate Donate icon Ask a Librarian Ask a Librarian icon

The Prows o’ Reekie

Lewis Spence

O wad this braw hie-heapit toun
Sail aff like an enchanted ship,
Drift owre the warld’s seas up and doun,
And kiss wi’ Venice lip to lip,
Or anchor into Naples’ Bay
A misty island far astray
Or set her rock to Athens’ wa’,
Pillar to pillar, stane to stane,
The cruikit spell o’ her backbane,
Yon shadow-mile o’ spire and vane,
Wad ding them a’, wad ding them a’!
Cadiz wad tine the admiralty
O’ yonder emerod fair sea,
Gibraltar frown for frown exchange
Wi’ Nigel’s crags at elbuck-range,
The rose-red banks o’ Lisbon make
Mair room in Tagus for her sake.

A hoose is but a puppet-box
To keep life’s images frae knocks,
But mannikins scrieve oot their sauls
Upon its craw-steps and its walls;
Whaur hae they writ them mair sublime
Than on yon gable-ends o’ time?


Lewis Spence

from Plumes of Time (George Allen & Unwin, 1926)

Tags:

cities Edinburgh Edinburgh metamorphosis Scots ships and boats
Share this
Facebook
Twitter
Email

Learn more

Lewis Spence1874 - 1955

Lewis Spence was an occultist and an authority on ancient folklore and mythology. In his poetry chose often to use a version of Scots reminiscent of the 16th century makars.
More about Lewis Spence

Podcasts

Our audio programme of poets, poems and news for you to listen to.
Listen Now

Join

Become a Borrower or support our work by becoming a Friend of SPL.
Join us
  • 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 2021.
The Scottish Poetry Library is a registered charity (No. SCO23311).
City of Edinburgh logo Green Arts Initiative logo Creative Scotland logo
By leaves we live

The Scottish Poetry Library is staffed weekdays from 10am – 2pm and is providing a limited service including postal loans and Click & Collect. For details, click COVID-19 in the menu bar above. Dismiss