Document 661

Dipper: 49 - Stukkies

Author(s): Dr James A Begg

Copyright holder(s): Dr James A Begg

Once upon a time, Town Councils throughout the land spent a great deal of time listening to "Pied Pipers" who claimed they could rid their Burghs of starlings; and a great deal of money paying them to do it - unsuccessfully - as this wee poem prophesied!

Black snaw-flakes birlin oot the purple lift
Like the whirlin spume o a blawin drift,
Jinkin an weavin, joukin an divin,
Twa or three leavin, thousans arrivin
In endless procession frae miles aroun,
Aa seekin the warmth o a freenly toun.

Oot the getherin dusk o an Autumn sky
Comes their bletherin sang an cheerfu cry,
On windae-soles, ruif-taps, ledges an spires,
A feathert clamjamfry o clatterin choirs
Draws ticht aathegither, raw upon raw,
Tae whustle an bicker the nicht awa.

Tae toun-folks ablow they're nocht but a pest,
Fylin their pavements an Sunday Best,
Toun Council Committees dae whit they can
Tae impose Man's solution - a total ban,
But Nature juist lauchs at 'poleetical will',
An the wee burds regairdless, come roostin here still!

Tae a kintra-lad tho, they're a mindin o hame,
As their gabblin sang - nae twa verses the same,
Mimics the peesie, the whaup, an the speug,
The sea-pie, the laverock, or even a dug;
An weel daes he ken they dae mair guid than herm,
Grubbin pests oot the meedaes, doun on the ferm.

Sae mind yin an aa, afore ye condemn,
There's mair tae this life than juist 'Us an Them',
We aa hae oor pairt in the Web o Creation,
Whether oot in the fields or in gran' Central Station,
If yer heid gets sair splattert, juist coont it as lucky
- There's room in this warld for baith us an the stukkie!

___
stukkie/starling
clamjamfry/crowd, rabble
clatterin/gossiping
fylin/fouling
speug/sparrow
sea-pie/oyster-catcher
laverock/lark

Information about Document 661

Dipper: 49 - Stukkies