Shalls
Der lempit shalls aa alang da banks,
as if da birds wis hed some kind o foy
or shörmal splore. Some ir roodery,
tick is an auld tumb nail; some slicht
is finest china, nearly see-trowe;
da outsides ruckly, maistlins aa da sam.
But turn dem owre - der ivery shade:
white, bleddick-coloured, green an blue
an mustard. Some hae lacy aedges,
some wi a luik o plaid, an ivry een
wi his ain horse-shoe mark whaar
da flesh wis fastened; lik as if
a thoosand peerie ponies hed linkit
oot a dem an left der clivmark, or
fun dem in a secret ocean smiddy.
Hit seems wir med da idder wye
wi a pooer o ooter differences at can
divide wis; mak wis kinda wary
een fae tidder. But if we seek instead
da inner space o neebirs, we fin wir
maistlins aa da sam: a dunt fornenst
a harned haert, an wir laid in akker.
Hit seems wir shall, wir hoidin place,
is little wirt. An wi da mark o Cain
apö wis, we hearna da voice o da blöd
o bridders; nor see da faemly lickly
at micht a minded wis at wir his keeper.
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