Because of this and that here at HQ we're a bit tardy with our traditional Burns Night celebrations but I'd rather arrive late than miss the party completely. This episode of the Guardian Books podcast talks about the new Robert Burns museum in Ayrshire and features a lovely, lovely recitation of To A Mouse by Scotland's newest Makar Liz Lochhead which starts at about 23:50 and is well worth listening to even if you don't have time for the whole podcast. This poem contains one of Burns' most famous lines-
The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men
Gang aft agley,
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
For promis'd joy!
and she recites it with such feeling but a certain touching lightness too, it's very moving when she gets to this part through the end.
And then I thought I might go off the track a little bit and share a poem from Scotland's previous Makar, Edwin Morgan, who died last August and who has become an absolute favorite of mine. His work hasn't been the easiest thing to track down but with every yellowed dusty four dollar volume that arrives over the water thanks to the magic of Abebooks I love him a little bit more.
Love by Edwin Morgan
Love rules. Love laughs. Love marches. Love
is the wolf that guards the gate.
Love is the food of music, art, poetry. It
fills us and fuels us and fires us to create.
Love is terror. Love is sweat. Love is bashed
pillow, crumpled sheet, unenviable fate.
Love is the honour that kills and saves and nothing
will ever let that high ambiguity abate.
Love is the crushed ice that tingles and shivers
and clinks fidgin-fain for the sugar-drenched
absinth to fall on it and alter its state.
With love you send a probe
So far from the globe
No one can name the shoals the voids the belts the
zones the drags the flares it signals all to
leave all and to navigate.
There aren't many things that could follow that but this can, and it wouldn't be Burns Night for me without it, and anyway I was an Eddi Reader fan long before I was a poetry girl and she was the reason I gave Burns any thought at all back in those days. This is an achingly beautiful version of one of Burns' most famous songs.
This kilts for you, lassie!
Posted by: slantrhyme | January 26, 2011 at 11:08 PM
Beautiful post Greer.
Adore that Edwin Moore poem in particular
"Love rules. Love laughs. Love marches. Love
is the wolf that guards the gate."
and
"Love is terror. Love is sweat. Love is bashed pillow, crumpled sheet, unenviable fate."
Gorgeous.
Posted by: Agnes | January 27, 2011 at 12:31 AM
why thank you Mr Spence, it'll go with my boots!
Thank you Agnes. I adore this poem too, and especially the part ending with "unenviable fate" that you mention, it makes me almost queasy in a way that seems so utterly perfect.
I've had him up once before, you might like this too.
Posted by: Greer | January 27, 2011 at 11:02 AM
Oh and I so love Eddi Reader. Thanks for that!
Posted by: Jeremy | January 27, 2011 at 05:03 PM
Well, well, well! We're having a belated Burns Night supper tonight - haggis, neeps, tatties, trifle, and whisky. Oh, and cheese as well. Coz cheese rules. As does Liz Lochhead. :)
Posted by: FiL | January 28, 2011 at 02:32 PM
Nice to know you're also a fan, Jeremy.
FiL- I am still not eating haggis but all the rest sounds very good and I need to read more Liz :)
Posted by: Greer | January 31, 2011 at 07:15 PM
I'll serve you some haggis if you ever come east, Greer. You'll love it. :)
I had so much fun reading through a bunch of Robert Burns' poetry to prepare for Burns Night last week. That Edwin Morgan poem is really lovely. Just in time to use some lines in a Valentine's Day card.
Posted by: Tricia | February 01, 2011 at 06:36 AM
Maybe we can stick the the Boston Cream Pie cupcakes... :)?
I'm so glad you liked the Edwin Morgan, we may see him again before Valentine's Day because he has a lot of really wonderful ones.
Posted by: Greer | February 01, 2011 at 08:37 PM