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Document 1004

Poems from "Stravaigin"

Author(s): Liz Niven

Copyright holder(s): Liz Niven

Text

Stravaigin

Like fitprints
in peat bog,
we've left wir mark.
Even the moon cairries the stamp
o a Borders man.
Strang arms reach roon the globe
sing Auld Lang Syne,

The warld wears a kilt,
nane the waur forrit.
A warp an weft o trevellers.
Wha's like us?
Fit prints like?

***

Exile

Wi'oot leavin yer ain lan
ye can still be an exile
wha watches the lies o
the lan, the leid
aw taen fae within.

A sleekit kinna wey
o kiddin ye wi
veneers o democracy.

At least here in Prague
it wis clear that
oppressors wir in.
An ye kent fir sure
when they left.

***

Tourists at Auschwitz

We'd been telt
nae birds wid sing.

True it wis bit tall trees
shrooded brick wark camps.

Row upon row, they stretcht,
far as the greetin een cuid see.

Hidden fae view,
gas chaumers lay buriet,
unner foondations crummlt,
as butcher builders fleed.

A million an a hauf stanes pave
memorials in monie tungs.
A brick fir ilka deid sowel.
Vyces are low, few picters taen.

Nearhaun,a watter-fillt hollow,
algae covert, still hauds human ash.
A haun-wringin guide tells us mair.
Wirds hing heavy.

Intae sic silence,
a green puddock lowps a perfit bow,
oan the staignant loch.

This work is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

The SCOTS Project and the University of Glasgow do not necessarily endorse, support or recommend the views expressed in this document.

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APA Style:

Poems from "Stravaigin". 2024. In The Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech. Glasgow: University of Glasgow. Retrieved 29 March 2024, from http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/document/?documentid=1004.

MLA Style:

"Poems from "Stravaigin"." The Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech. Glasgow: University of Glasgow, 2024. Web. 29 March 2024. http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/document/?documentid=1004.

Chicago Style

The Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech, s.v., "Poems from "Stravaigin"," accessed 29 March 2024, http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/document/?documentid=1004.

If your style guide prefers a single bibliography entry for this resource, we recommend:

The Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech. 2024. Glasgow: University of Glasgow. http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk.

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Information about Document 1004

Poems from "Stravaigin"

Text

Text audience

Adults (18+)
General public
Audience size 1000+

Text details

Method of composition Wordprocessed
Year of composition 2001
Word count 215

Text medium

Book

Text publication details

Published
Publisher Canongate
Publication year 2001
Place of publication Edinburgh
ISBN/ISSN 184195134X
Part of a longer series of texts
Name of series Stravaigin - poetry collection

Text type

Poem/song/ballad

Author

Author details

Author id 19
Forenames Liz
Surname Niven
Gender Female
Decade of birth 1950
Educational attainment University
Age left school 17
Occupation Writer
Place of birth Glasgow
Region of birth Glasgow
Birthplace CSD dialect area Gsw
Country of birth Scotland
Place of residence Dumfries
Region of residence E & Mid Dumfries
Residence CSD dialect area Dmf
Country of residence Scotland
Father's occupation Gardener
Father's place of birth Glasgow
Father's region of birth Glasgow
Father's birthplace CSD dialect area Gsw
Father's country of birth Scotland
Mother's occupation Seamstress
Mother's place of birth Glasgow
Mother's region of birth Glasgow
Mother's birthplace CSD dialect area Gsw
Mother's country of birth Scotland

Languages

Language Speak Read Write Understand Circumstances
English Yes Yes Yes Yes Work / home
French Yes Yes Yes Yes With French people / films
Scots Yes Yes Yes Yes Work / home

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