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Document 609

The Bridge

Author(s): Maureen Sangster

Copyright holder(s): Maureen Sangster

Text

I wes a bridge but naebody kent I wes
An unnerneath the deithly watters ran
An ower ma swollen sel grief's muckle feet'd soond.
I wes a bridge but naebody kent I wes

A bridge can brak
Can tak nae mair snell
Offerings or irksome sichts
Bauld pain or thirl onymair
Tae limbs far nerve ends hae deid
I wes a bridge but naebody sa I wes

Though Christ, the tons o human flesh upon ma was -
Some nichts I'd feel a blight
Nae bonnie moon cud lift -
If they hud been the ghaists o fowk that I hud nivver met
There wid hae been a future. I thoucht o that
- that I cud be a coortin bridge
An throu ma span o time bring aboot a waddin
But there were nane jined in passion on me

I wes a bridge for Daith an waur
Than Daith cam skitterin tae me:
Pairts o living fowk ithers nivver see
Breists an sores sewn intae ma stanes
Wid ye believe there wis a threid for this?

But noo the lichts come on
Earlier, for the derk comes earlier
Black gobs o muckle iron mak
Fine limbs tae cairry prood heids o lichts

I nivver sa those lichts afore
They're mair than specimens o colour
Nane come on themsels bit ithers' haunds
Program their steady motion

I nivver thocht their power above me
Wes mine - but I hiv hud enough o daith
An noo want love: an airm alang ma shouders
Or ma back sae griefs like bairns maun fa
Wee caundels drappin doon ma sides
Tae plunk intae that fool watter doon below
I wes a bridge but naebody heard I wes till noo

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Cite this Document

APA Style:

The Bridge. 2024. In The Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech. Glasgow: University of Glasgow. Retrieved 14 October 2024, from http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/document/?documentid=609.

MLA Style:

"The Bridge." The Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech. Glasgow: University of Glasgow, 2024. Web. 14 October 2024. http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/document/?documentid=609.

Chicago Style

The Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech, s.v., "The Bridge," accessed 14 October 2024, http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/document/?documentid=609.

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 609

The Bridge

Text

Text audience

General public
Audience size 1000+

Text details

Method of composition Handwritten
Year of composition 1999
Word count 286

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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