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Document 606

Sanctuary Time

Author(s): Maureen Sangster

Copyright holder(s): Maureen Sangster

Text

Once ye were a babby
A babby, a babby,
Once ye were a babby
An in the lap o airms lay

Noo if yer parents hid a god
Hid a god, hid a god,
As yer parents hid a god,
They blessed ye on the heid

But there's ither wyes o bein
O bein, o bein,
Aye, I see ither wyes o seein
But they believe jist the same

That the heid is far the hert is
The hert is, the hert is,
The heid is far the hert is
An that it canna be a stane

Sae they wash it ower wi watter
Wi watter, wi watter,
They wash it ower wi watter
Till it ripples like the rain

An you, ma fair wee babby
Though noo ye're no a babby
Though ye greet jist like a babby
Doon the corridors, the day

Reach out throu the watter,
The het sloch o watter,
Aw rituals matter
Tae them that cry alane.

These other hands, accept them
My gift of kindness, accept it
Time given to you, accept it

My daughter
Ye're no alane

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APA Style:

Sanctuary Time. 2026. In The Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech. Glasgow: University of Glasgow. Retrieved 6 September 2026, from http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/document/?documentid=606.

MLA Style:

"Sanctuary Time." The Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech. Glasgow: University of Glasgow, 2026. Web. 6 September 2026. http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/document/?documentid=606.

Chicago Style

The Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech, s.v., "Sanctuary Time," accessed 6 September 2026, http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/document/?documentid=606.

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

The Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech. 2026. Glasgow: University of Glasgow. http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk.

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Information about Document 606

Sanctuary Time

Text

Text audience

General public
Audience size 1000+
Writer knew intended audience

Text details

Method of composition Handwritten
Year of composition 2000
Word count 187
General description Poem and song, written after shadowing a hospital worker at Royal Edinburgh Hospital.

Text medium

Other Pamphlet

Text publication details

Published
Publisher Kettillonia
Publication year 2002
Place of publication Fife
ISBN/ISSN 190294416X

Text setting

Leisure/entertainment
Private/personal

Text type

Poem/song/ballad

Author

Author details

Author id 249
Forenames Maureen
Surname Sangster
Gender Female
Decade of birth 1950
Educational attainment University
Age left school 18
Upbringing/religious beliefs Protestantism
Place of birth Aberdeen
Region of birth Aberdeen
Birthplace CSD dialect area Abd
Country of birth Scotland
Place of residence Kirkcaldy
Region of residence Fife
Residence CSD dialect area Fif
Country of residence Scotland
Father's occupation Teacher
Father's place of birth St Fergus
Father's region of birth Buchan
Father's birthplace CSD dialect area Buchan
Father's country of birth Scotland
Mother's occupation Teacher
Mother's place of birth Skene
Mother's region of birth Aberdeen
Mother's birthplace CSD dialect area Abd
Mother's country of birth Scotland

Languages

Language Speak Read Write Understand Circumstances
English Yes Yes Yes Yes For general use
Scots Yes Yes Yes Yes In Scots-speaking company. Poetry writing/readings

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