Celebrate in wirds
This poem was written for BBC Radio Scotland to be broadcast during National Poetry Day, 2002. The theme was 'Celebration'.
True poems steer up athin dat inner space,
an touch da hert-holl at we tocht intact:
dat blissit place we geeng tae on wir ain.
Dey oppen hoidey-holls we'd bolted fast.
Der wirds is dew apö da speeder's wub:
gems ta winder at, ta daev wir straff.
Der music an der rhythm's shape can baith
say 'dance!', say 'birl!', say 'celebrate!'. Foo saft
der tizin is dey trivvel roond da haert,
oppen wir een ta newness or a sicht
o foo a coose o patterns play der pairt,
mak space fur wis, yet rowe aroond wis ticht
ta hap wis safe fornenst wir doots an faers.
A poem is wir meid, wir hamewird licht.
hert-holl: the very innermost part; tocht: thought; geeng: go; hoidey-holls: secret, hiding places; apö: on; daev: lessen; straff: anxiety; tizin: tempting; trivvel: gently grope; foo: how; coose: heap; wis: us; rowe: wrap up; hap: wrap in shawl; fornenst: against; meid: landmark to guide fishermen
Christine De Luca, Luath Press, 2005
Reviews
- "The poet shows great skill in rendering meaningful Shetland poems from a variety of original sources."The New Shetlander, No. 234 - Yule Issue 2005
- "She has again proved herself to be both a fine poet and a worthy ambassador for Shetland literature."The Shetland Times, September 2005
- "This is poetry to be spoken aloud, allowing the sound of the words to form in the mind."The Herald, October 2005