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Poetry Magnum Opus

Stuckie


FrasMac

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Hi, this one might be a bit left field for some, as it's written in my local Scots vernacular. The subject is the common Starling (sturnus vulgaris) of which there are many in my area. The form is the standard habbie, which has become known as Burns Verse, as it was a favoured form of our national bard. If you run out of ideas on any of the words I'm happy to translate!

Stuckie

 

The jaikdaw’s black, as ye can see,

the rook’s as daurk as he can be,

the craws are murder in yon tree

they mak’ an awfy noise,

an’ black is a’ we see o’ ye

when you flie wi’ the boys.

 

But Stuckie, ye’re a splendid sicht

when oot the crowd, intae the licht

ye step, wi’ colours burnin’ bricht

just like the peacock’s tail,

but no wi’ a’ his heft an’ micht,

ye keep them tae yersel’.

 

I’m thinkin’ ye’ve anither plan -

they micht be like yer ain tartan,

just like the kiltet clans o’ man

wear theirs wi’ pride,

it’s just ye are mair modest than

wha disna hide.

 

Och Stuckie, ye’re my favour’t bird,

my thinkin’ ye hae ayeways stirred,

it’s just your beauty’s often blurred

in sicht o’ men,

humility’s your life’s watchword -

ane we should ken.

 

13/1/16

 

 

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In the reference section we have descriptions with many examples of form including the Standard Habbie or Burns Stanza. To this point I was the only one to write a poem in the form here, but now with your permission I would now like to link the form description to your poem also. A true Scottish Habbie with dialect and all. I really enjoyed this poem. Great rhythm and the dialect had me adopting a brogue by the time I was through. ~~Tink

~~ © ~~ Poems by Judi Van Gorder ~~

For permission to use this work you can write to Tinker1111@icloud.com

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  • 3 weeks later...

It must be in an intermediate level, because I do think I understand it … probably because it's in writing. Had I heard it read out loud, I probably wouldn't have understood as much not being able to see the words and make educated guesses as to their meanings. Nice work.

Tony

Here is a link to an index of my works on this site: tonyv's Member Archive topic

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