“Kek!” said da bonxie, gaen efter a maa,
an keppin da fish at da craetir let faa,
“dir nae need ta wirk whin dir füles at’ll do it,
an aa you mann do is ta schaest till dey spew it!”

“Oh, true, very true!” said da cuckoo,
“livin is aesy, if you only ken hoo!” –
an he heisted da idder eggs oot ower da side –
“dey’ll hae ta geng, or I canna bide!”

An noddin his head, as if he agreed,
an hunklin his shooders wi tochts o da feed, –
“Every ane kens his ain wye best!”
said da craa as he robbit da laverick’s nest.

Bit da laverick sprang ida lift, an sang:
“Never leet, life is sweet, an it winna be lang!”

Glossary

bonxie – great skua
maa – herring gull
keppin – catching
mann – must
schaest – chase
hunklin – shrugging/raising

© Stella Sutherland
Appears in Stella’s collection A Celebration and Other Poems (the author; 1991).

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