Aa but carbon neutral
Jaipur 2009
A man sits at his table i da street,
lifts a haevy iron fae a sunbaked tile.
Lasses crubbit in a rickshaa,
der saris eclipse da bougainvillea.
I da haert o a roondaboot, twartree tents;
women hing oot washin, day laaberers.
A midder traivels wi her bairns, peeriewyes;
a airm o a tree balanced apön her heid.
Anidder with a lod o laeves:
her urban goat has a short tedder.
Bruck bi da roadside is waeled trowe;
recycled bi a stray dog, a antrin coo.
****
(Translated into English)
A man sits at his table in the street,
lifts a heavy iron from a tile sunbaked.
A brisk huddle of girls in a rickshaw,
their saris eclipse the bougainvillea.
A few tents in the middle of a roundabout;
women hang out washing, day labourers.
A mother walks with a child, steadies
an arm of a tree on her head.
Another balances a load of leaves:
her urban goat is kept on a short rope.
Garbage on the pavement is recycled
by an evening cow, a cat, a stray dog.
Almost carbon neutral
Shetland 1909
Aye a penny for a Sabbath collar:
da rest o da week, a sark fae da pulley.
Pony an trap maybe, or jöst traivellin;
bairns in bricht gansies – red, yalloo, blue.
A antrin boady bade ootadaeks:
neebirs browt a egg, blaand, butter.
Gyaain hame fae a day at da hill:
blue clods i da kishie, wires fleein.
A maeshie o hay fae da mödow;
milk for da caddies, closs-cringed.
Brucks tae da grice, da hens, da dug;
whit’s unkirsen da maas ‘ll glunsh.
****
(Translated into English)
Always a penny for a Sabbath collar:
the rest of the week, a shirt from the pulley.
Pony and trap maybe, or just on foot;
children in bright jumpers – red, yellow, blue.
An occasional soul lived beyond the hill dyke:
neighbours brought an egg, whey, butter.
Going home from a day at working peats:
blue clods in the basket, speedy knitting needles.
A load of hay from the meadow;
milk for the orphan lambs, tethered together.
Left-overs for the pig, the hens, the dog;
what’s uneatable the seagulls will scoff.
© Christine de Luca 2009
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