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
    • National Poetry Day 2020
    • New Titles
    • 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
  • >
  • drunkenness
Donate Donate icon Ask a Librarian Ask a Librarian icon

drunkenness

By the Watter - by Robert Crawford

{ Poem }

Daurk nicht, smuith swaws, wund’s pine,
A peedie bait wannerin awa –
Sey, watter, the lave o my wizzen.

A Memory of Death - by Alan Bold

{ Poem }

Nineteen fifty six was a momentous year,
/ The year of Suez…

Good Friday - by Edwin Morgan

{ Poem }

Three o’clock. The bus lurches
/ round into the sun. ‘D’s this go –‘
/ he flops beside me – ‘right along Bath Street?
/ -…

Wasp and Bee, or What Now, Moralist? - by Hamish Maclaren

{ Poem }

From high endeavour
/ On his bright wings,
/ The wasp is fallen
/ To evil things.
/
/ From deep…

Ane an’ be Dune wi’t - by William Miller

{ Poem }

If folk wad be cautious when takin’ a drappy,
/ And mind they maun eat as weel’s drink to be happy,
/ They’d be…

Le Bateau Ivre (The Drunken Boat) - by Arthur Rimbaud

{ Poem }

an extract
/
/ Sweeter than the flesh of sour apples to children, the green water penetrated my pinewood hull and washed me…

A Baroque Scot’s Excess - by August Kleinzahler

{ Poem }

Sir Thomas Urquhart, Knight
/ found a puddle
/ outside the Cat&Mustard Pot
/ sat
/ and waged pitiful tyranny
/ against the phlegm,
/ vibrato and tears that bespoke drink
/ on a…

Drunk Autumn Midnight Below Victoria Embankment - by Tobias Hill

{ Poem }

And the sky wet as a loose tarpaulin.
/ I’m walking but not home.
/
/ I’m taking the air. It tastes
/ sweet, like rust.

  • 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