General Poetry posted December 25, 2011


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Ah had a pal wae a firewood shop.

Midlin' years

by alexgardiner


listen to this poem as you read. click the wee wee arrow below next to the wee lude speekir graphic

Aboot 14 years auld a wis then,
livin' in ma wee but'n'ben.
In a street cawed Sunybank place,
an' memories nuthin' wull iver erase.

Ah had a pal wae a firewood shop,
when bunches o' sticks were aw' the cop.
Aw' sorts o' wood in five inch sticks,
sold in boxes o' thirty but never oan tick.

Cut an' bunched then tied wae wire,
aw' ready tae start oanybidy's fire.
Sixpence a bunch wis the price Dave did ask.
deliverin' them wis ma dodgy task.

Dave had a very auld rickety truck,
tae start it, the carby wis a'ways stuck.
Yea had tae flick it till the auld truck fired,
then jump in quick afore the blidy thing expired.

Am no sayin' officially a drove this auld heap,
at a wee 14 dodgin' the law wid hae bin a feat.
Stull a sixpence commission oan a thirty box,
wis worthwhile dodgin' the blidy cops.

Aye those were the days o' auld,
in Scotland wae blidy winter's cauld.
A saved ma money tae buy Tropical fish,
breeding them wis ma hertfelt wish.

Successful tae the nth degree,
gave advice oan them fur a wee sma' fee.
Aw' soarts o' beautiful fish ah kept wae joy,
aye, this wee lad wis a busy, busy wee boy.

A bred Danios an' fighters o' the Siamese kind,
an' Sailfin Green Mollies that were hard tae find.
Fancy Guppies wae lang flowin' tails,
aw' ither fish, in comparison, paled.

Ah remember seein' ma furst wee eggs hatch,
a hunner wee Danio Bairns in that furst batch.
Raised aboot fifty an' sold at twa bob a time,
oh takin' folks muny seemed sic a crime.

Many mair fishes were sold fur cashy dough,
an this wee tycoon luved this, jist so.
Then 15th birthday came way a happy song,
nae langer time fur fish whin real work came along.

Many many years later I had three shops,
importing tropical fish kept me oan the hop.
Then wan day Australia beckoned,
we aw' emigrated tae the best place, we reckoned.

Gittin' a job in only twa days,
havin' skills an' confidence certainly pays.
Running a tropical fish department in Sydney George Street.
An' Saturdays the wan o'clock TV show wis anither feat.

Joe the Gadget Man's Show ivery week,
gein'advice oan Tropical fish so tae speak.
Joe wid ask me questions not rehearsed,
a'ways tryin tae catch me un-rehearsed.

Sly auld bugger 'Joe' niver did catch me oot,
he niver got up early enuf tae catch this auld coot.
Those were ma early days in OZ,
luved it! Why? OZ is the best place. That's because!!!!

The Auld Yin.




Recognized


Listen to this true story as you read. Click the wee wee arrow next to the wee lude speekir graphic above the picture of the Scottish pond note.

If it does not work you may need to download 'Quick Time Player' from the Internet. it is a free download.
I use the Scottish vernacular in 90% of my poems.

The musical sounds and twists of the Scottish words used famously by 'Robert Burns', gives colour and with a little imagination and patience from the reader, makes for a experience in poetry which differs from the usual.
They say the English language is hard to master. Here all you need as I have mentioned is patience of mind and no preconceived ideas as to what is normal.

I have been told recently my humour is of the bathroom type and very much disliked. However, I won't let the misery of a few others get me down. I do say that humour to me is everyday life and I will never apologize for trying to make people laugh. It costs me nothing so let I be my gift to all who are a wee bit down :)

I was irrevocably betrothed to laughter, the sound of which has always seemed to me to be the most civilized music in the world.
Peter Ustinov (1921 - 2004)


I know that some still cannot get used to the idea of this vernacular. I do apologize, however if I do not use this dialect there would be no point in me writing at all. It is different I know but there is enough beautiful 'English' poems on FanStory that it should not matter. So, as it gives me great deal of pleasure I hope you do not mind me carrying on with this style. Thank you:) :) :): :)

A wee sample o' Scoatish vernacular.



Anither = another
Amber Fluid = Whisky
Amung = among
Beryl = Frustration
Breed = Bread , whin a man an' a wummin get together :(
Birlin' = Turning around and around. Jings ma heids fair birlin' efter those twa wee whiskies.
Bonny Lass = means, gentle, luvin' an' a carin' lass. so called beauty is only skin deep. (Tell that tae Miranda Kerr. Oh! My)
Banshees or Ghouls ,or miseries = Folks that dinny like ma vernacular:)
Bile = boil, could be bile as in sickly sick
Biopsy = a stupid idea
Blidy Nora = Scottish exclamation!!!! Means Blidy Nora!!!
Bum crack = The part that fits into a bicycle seat.
Bum.. Erse as in joak.bottom.sittin' flaps.rear end....posterior
Bahookie = Bum as in erse
Breeth = Breath
Boobs = If yea dinny ken am no gonna tell yea:(
Brammer = Great, fanstastic, best ever
Claes = Clothes
Cawed = called
Ciao = Italian for ' Am gonna bugger oaf noo'.
Courin' = Cowering
Castration = is whin a bloke has tae sit doon tae pee screamin' in a high pitched voice :( ' oh Ma!!! Sum buggers pinced ma He-Haws' :(
Doaktur = Doctor
Een = Eyes
Erection = jings iverybidy kens whit that means:( Is that a gun yea hiv in yer troosers or arrrr' yea jist happy tae see me:)
Echie = Eucalyptus tree
Fekin = Non articulate rude adjective used mainly by big silly buggers
Flair = Floor
Furst = first
Fart =.Fart if quiet
Farrrrt. = Fart loud,you have to role your r r r,s farrrrrrrrt
Fart exceptional = FARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRT
Fash.. Don't get excited. .dinny fash yersel lassy!
Fluers = Flowers
Guile = tae be a wee bit crafty. ( No a didnae find oany change in yer pockets hingin' up yer troos.)
Gawin' = Going
Glaekit = adj. of lesser intelligence, slow on the uptake. Anyone not from Edinburgh
Gramer = Grammar......whit iver that means,, used by The Auld Yin sumtimes whin stoatin' drunk.. Shat yer mooth wummin' am as jober as a Sudge:
Gawp =to stare open-mouthed 'Whit are ye gawpin' at, hen? Never seen a willie afore?'
Hudders = Holders
Haggis = :) Food from the gods
Humungus = Enormous, larger than a Scottish summer.
Hert = Heart
Hen = woman. Arrrr' yea ben the hoose hen?
Hielan' = Highland
He-Haws = Wee dangly bits. Family jewels.
Hoat = Hot
Heapit = Heaped
Jings = Oh dear!! Oh Bugger! Aw naw!!
Koi = Japanese Carp
Knackered = bawless..(Hey Jimmy it wid freeze the baws oaf a brass monkey.)
Keekers = Eyes
Lude = loud
Lern....Learn
Matoon = Urban centre in which mahoose is situated;
Mahoose = My House
Mingin' = Smelly.Jings you feet are mingin'
Mullian = million, canny be that hard tae unnerston'
Muckle = very large, blidy big, no blidy wee.( Jings jimmys gote muckle He -Haws!)
Maist = Most
Nouse = To know
Oaf = off
Ofay = to know
Parkie = Park keeper or warden
Pe'als = Petals = pronounced peh-ahls.
Peep = wee look, Could be , 'whay dae yea think yer peepin' yer horn at ya stupid wally'
Pronoonced = Pronounced
Peekit = Off colour'.pinched face..yea look Peekit hen, are yea a wee bit tired?
Proapur Punkchewation = Proper Punctuation.
Pawky = Shy, introverted, sad face,or sly dry Scottish wit
Roamin' = Roaming = overseas connection for your mobile phone. Or ('Roamin' in the gloamin' wae a lassy by ma side'.
Reek = Smell = Edinburgh used to be called 'Auld Reekie'.
Stoory = Cloth eared folks wae nae imagination
Soat = Sought
Stoaped = stopped
Sic = such ( sic a tiny wee thingie) Even wee-er whin it's very cold.
Stie = Stay
Scoatish Summer' = Whin the sun cums oot..Furst an' second July.
Scoatish Indian Summer = Whin the sun cums oot mair than three times in a row.
Scoatish Lang summer =A fenominum'In yer dreams Jimmy.
Scunnered = Sick fed up, Scunnered landscape. Barren
Shite =Polite Scottish description, a compliment. Similar to cow dung
Stoor = Dust
Sair = sore
Sleekit = underhanded, sneaky 'Ah wouldnae trust yon sleekit wee bugger wi' the ship's cat'
Scaffie = labourer, sweeper upperer,dugs bidy.
Troos'. =.short shorts worn under the kilt, for the purpose of not scaring the public.
Tatties = Potatoes
Tripe = A taste gift from god. Jings Mary he's eatin' tripe again; 'Oh my god :(
Unnerstondin' = understanding
Watter = Water
Waater = Lots of Water
Waaaaaaater = Muckle ( humungus) lots of water
Willie = From a laddie's thingie. 'Hey, Jeannie! The wind lifted yon sojer's kilt an Ah seen his willie.
Weecalf =Small coo, or anither wurd fur a weeks holiday.
Wee shite = Used by joak as a Scottish endearment to The Auld Yin.
Twaweecalfs = A fortnights holiday.
Wisnae = 'Was not' wearin' the troos. Muckle willie it wis, tae. Must be frae Edinburgh!'
Wance = Once (Listen carefully I will tell you this only once)
Wheeshed = Be Quiet. ( Hud yer wheeshed or a wull lam yer bum)
Wurd = word
Wad = Would









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