Dear Thamson class, whaure'er I gang It aye comes ower me wi' a spang: @3'Lordsake! they Thamson lads -- (deil hang Or else Lord mend them!) -- An' that wanchancy annual sang I ne'er can send them!'@1 Straucht, at the name, a trusty tyke, My conscience girrs ahint the dyke; Straucht on my hinderlands I fyke To find a rhyme t' ye; Pleased -- although mebbe no pleased-like -- To gie my time t'ye. @3'Weel@1,' an' says you, wi' heavin' breist, @3'Sae far, sae guid, but what's the neist? Yearly we gaither to the feast, A' hopefu' men -- Yearly we skelloch "Hang the beast -- Nae sang again!" '@1 My lads, an' what am I to say? Ye shuurely ken the Muse's way: Yestreen, as gleg's a tyke -- the day, Thrawn like a cuddy: Her conduc', that to her's a play, Deith to a body. Aft whan I sat an' made my mane, Aft whan I laboured burd-alane Fishin' for rhymes an' finding' nane, Or nane were fit for ye -- Ye judged me cauld's a chucky stane -- No car'n' a bit for ye! But saw ye ne'er some pingein' bairn As weak as a pitaty-par'n' -- Less used wi' guidin' horse-shoe airn Than steerin' crowdie -- Packed aff his lane, by moss an' cairn, To ca' the howdie. Wae's me, for the puir callant than! He wambles like a poke o' bran, An' the lowse rein, as hard's he can, Pu's, trem'lin' handit; Till, blaff! upon his hinderlan' Behauld him landit. Sick-like -- I awn the weary fac' -- Whan on my Muse the gate I tak, An' see her gleed e'e raxin' back To keek ahint her; -- To me, the brig o' Heev'n gangs black As blackest winter. @3'Lordsake! we're aff,'@1 thinks I, @3'but whaur? On what abhorred an' whinny scaur, Or whammled in what sea o' glaur, Will she desert me? An' will she just disgrace? or waur -- Will she no hurt me?'@1 Kittle the quaere! But at least The day I've backed the fashious beast, While she, wi' mony a spang an' reist, Flang heels ower bonnet; An' a' triumphant -- for your feast, Hae! there's your sonnet! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...SONG OF SUMMER by PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR THE FINDING OF LOVE by ROBERT RANKE GRAVES FOR DECORATION DAY: 1898-1899 by RUPERT HUGHES SONG OF A SECOND APRIL by EDNA ST. VINCENT MILLAY THE HUSKERS by JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER SERENADE by JEAN FRANCOIS VICTOR AICARD |