Table of Contents

Introduction

LIZ NIVEN
Efter Ye Cam Back Fae Malawi
Eatin Locusts
In Memoriam Solway Harvester
Comet
Hearin A Sang Fae Ma Boat
Hinnie

DOUG CURRAN
The Basket Makers
Aye When Simmer Cam
Ina
The Smiddy At The Whaup
The Silent Hoose
Walkin The Horses Hame
On Cairnfield Heichts
Auld Time Dancin
Factory Deems
The Men Frae Radio Ulster

DAVID DOUGLAS
Dancin Frogs
Dangerous Wurds
In A To?oer
Liftin
Maternity
The Giraffe
Hideyoshi Replies
Joes Field
Kennin Einstein
Puffin Billy
Tam Bides Hame

JOHN BURNS
Bricht In The Licht O Heaven
Abuin The Hill Fuits
Scliffs O Licht
Johnny Maxwell Dances
Frisco
The Boonds O Heaven
The Licht Aye-Bidan
Kensho
The Leafs Maun Faa
Untitled

JOSIE NEILL
Me An Katie Morrison
The Wattergaw
Heritage
Mullwharchar
Mairi Stuart
Orra Tink
Tibbie Logie
A Christmas Poem
Lament For MacDiarmid
Makars Warslin

HUGH BRYDEN
Balloon
Chappin Chairlie?
Fags
His Faither's Voice
Chipshop Checkmate
Metaphor?
Cryin In Ma Beer
Shaving
If Ah Could Talk Tae The Airtists

JOHN MANSON
Toun Graveyaird
Soun
Auld Notes
1903
Gell
Loddan Neeps
Pleuan
The Stirk
Reidmasach
San Martino Del Carso
Deid O Nicht
Bleck Stane On Tap O A White Stane

WILLIE NEILL
The Auld Grunn
Drumbarchan Mains
Kailyard And After
First Keek At A Corp
Hielant John 1930
Fitsides Wi A Prood Hizzie
A Faur Cry Frae Auchinleck
Seasons
The Power Of Advertising
A Celtic History
Faur Ahint Maun Follae Faster
Hertsaw

BETTY TINDAL
Preservin Memories
Green Moss
The Letter
The Slaes
Glimpsing The Unicorn
Reelin Back The Years
Jist A Domestic
Turning Tae Sang
Joyfu Souch
Walking The Line
Winter Glaur
P- P- P ?? Prostitution

ANGUS MACMILLAN
Balla Samhach / Lown Wa
Tha e sileadh an Leodhas / It Is Rainin In Lewis
Gearan na cuilegeagan-mheanbh / The Midges' Complaint
Toimhseachan / Conundrum
Fear-labhairt deireannach / The Hinmaist Speiker
Uisge Beatha / Uisge Beatha
Dannsa 'san t-seomar-feitheamh / Dancin In The Waitin Room
Ciste / Kist
Gaelic Haiku
Historical Shorts
Tartan Briefs

DEREK ROSS
Waterloo Tower, New Abbey
Staunin Stanes
First Gemme
Museum O Scotland
Hadrian?s Wa
Dunbae Road
Tide
Origins
Forest Cottage
Dry Stane Dyke

RAB WILSON
Biggin
Extract from The Ruba?iyat of Omar Khayyam: In Scots
The National Conversation
Heraclitus
Diffugere Nives
Heroes
Dumfounert Wi Wunner
Somerfield Checkout Coonter #2
Playin MacDiarmid At Scrabble

About the Author

RAB WILSON was born in New Cumnock, Ayrshire, in 1960. After an engineering apprenticeship with the National Coal Board heleft the pits following the miners' strike of 1984-5 to become a psychiatric nurse. As a Scots poet, his work has appeared in The Herald as well as Chapman, Lallans and Markings magazines.

Rab has performed his work at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the StAnza poetry festival at St Andrews, the 'Burns an a' That' Festival at Ayr, Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, the Wickerman Festival, and many other gatherings large and small. He was 'Bard of the Festival' at Wigtown, Scotland's National Book Town. Additionally, Rab is a previous winner of the McCash Poetry Prize and for the past three years has been the 'Robert Burns Writing Fellow In Reading Scots' for Dumfries and Galloway Arts Association.

Currently a member of the Scots Language Resource Centre's national council, Rab also sat recently on the Ministerial Advisory Group on Scots Language at the Holyrood Parliament. He is a 'weel-kent' advocate for Scots writing. He now lives in New Cumnock with his wife Margaret and daughter Rachel.

Reviews

'The poets Rab Wilson has gathered in this anthology represent and important and often neglected strand in contemporary Scottish poetry. Native Scots-speaking poets whose chosen language is distinct from English and expressive beyond the capacities of that sister-language, they are committed to their country, their place and the people who inhabit the world beside them. However, earthed and native as they are, there is nothing narrowing or oversimplified here.'
- ALAN RIACH

The range and liveliness of the poems are a testament to the continuing vitality of the Scots language in Dumfries and Galloway
- THE HERALD