Ullans » Nummer 7 Wunter 1999 » It's ill tae mine

It’s ill tae mine

Author: James Fenton

Date: 1999

Source: Ullans: The Magazine for Ulster-Scots, Nummer 7 Wunter 1999

Spectacles and open book

James Fenton

It’s ill tae mine, wae a’

The years an a’

The ither;

Yit ivery booin brench o the sally,

Tal an strecht an lang

Awa,

Wuz skeenklin gless, clear an shairp,

Teenklin frae oot the sky in spails an

Flitterin bricht

Saft-plappin

Inty the poothery snow, wreathed

Deep, saft-white an quait

A’ ower the sheugh an dake.

An we trevelled thonway

Flippin,

Lillies baith,

Skeich-geeglin at

Ither,

Ower the pakked, broon-padded snow, whur

Nae road wuz, hir

Sae licht, sae lichtsome, quick-lachin

Doon, thonway, a keechlin

Hizzy, howlin

Ticht an het

A wain’s clinched fist tae,

Then, we gaen by

The waitin gate, quait-hingin, whur ye

See it yit,

Wee roses keekin,

Bricht draps o blid, frae oot the snow; yit

Niver mine

Gan in the dorr.

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Contents: Ullans: The Magazine for Ulster-Scots, Nummer 7 Wunter 1999

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