Wednesday 30 May 2012

Wurd o tha Week

Tha wurd fer tha week:
Chullers  (occasionally - chulders)


Meaning - jowls
This poor creeter haes quare chullers









Sunday 13 May 2012

Ullans Number 12 - Solace

The good people at the Ulster-Scots Language Society were kind enough to publish two of the poems I wrote last year in the latest edition of Ullans Magazine. They were also generous enough to provide some much needed editorial advice, for which I am greatly indebted. Below I have included my poem Solace which appears on page 23 of Issue 12
                                           








Solace

Tae danner doon loast loanins
Whaur time hings thick as stoor;
An skellied een can aftimes glean
Aa that cam afore.
Tae lay agin a waarm stane waa
That croons a drumlins heid,
Betwixt tha plan o God an man
An free fae unco need.
Tae sklent tha breakers’ fickle pad,
As spate owertaks tha lan,
And ower thair bak tae learn tae tak
Solace frae tireless plan.
Tae turn yinst mair an mak fur hame
Whane’er tha day iz gan –
Oor peace new-made wi him ’at sayed
Be still, an know I am.
                                             
D. Gibson,  2011

Monday 7 May 2012

Dinnae waak Danner













Hae ye mind whun ye cud o gaen fir a danner wi'oot a bricth yella jerkin or a wee flashin licht? Whun ye cud o leed tha hoose wioot twa oors preparation. Aye, ye hae tae wunner if thon creeters wae watter bottles, heid phones and step coonters wud no be better aff on yin o thon waakin machines.

I think folk hae forgot hoo tae danner. Ye dinnae need a locth o parafinelia. Tha maist ye shud tak iz a guid stick an maybe a coat or a ganzy, jist hae mind tae follae tha oul sayin an cast ne'er a cloot tae Mays oot, an yell be aa richt.

Aye, a danners no a danner wi'oot a dascent waakin stick. Wather it's a blackthorn fir leanin on or a sally rod fir snickin tha heids o dandelions ye kennd yer gaen simwhar wae a stick in yer han.

Bit tha hairtsim thing aboot a guid danner is tha kintrieside: tha white snawdrops, tha yella whin blossoms, tha lopsided sycamore seeds burlin roon as they faa fae branches abain yer heid. It disnae seem licht oany yin taks tha time tae luk aroon thum nooadays. I doot Mr Davies hae'd it richt whun he said "A poor life this if, full of care, we have no time to stand and stare."

Whut use iz it tae ken hoo mony calories ye hae burnt. If ye saw naethin o worth.
If ye learnt naethin. If ye thoct aboot naethin bit yersel.

So tha nixt time yer oot on tha road, gaen oot o yer road, an appen yer een. Tak yer time, an dinnae waak, danner.