Enjoy Candays, as dictated to Grumps (aka Musselburgh poet and writer Roger McKillop).
In these dog days of summer, here’s an update on the life of a very special dog, that lovable Pomsky pup called Candy.
Enjoy Candays, as dictated to Grumps (aka Musselburgh poet and writer Roger McKillop).
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Fed up already hearing about the Great Panamanian Pushover? Have a wee read on McStorytellers instead. Here’s that rough, tough, but sentimental, Saltcoats man Angus Shoor Caan recalling a taste from the past in Professionally Compatible.
Enjoy the memory! That Musselburgh rhymester Roger McKillop has mair bees in his bonnet than a Hielander wi’ his heid stuck in a hive. And in the current political climate in Scotland, who could blame him? On the 704th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn, here he is releasing some of those bees through a quartet of his latest poems. The Arithmetic o’ Hypocracy
D’ye mind their cries o’ indignation, When we micht hae tipped scale? “Scotland must not rule the South!” Yet wi’ D.U.P., their complaints fail! An’ gin we play Westminster’s game, O’ 59, we were aw’ but 3! It’s aw’ ridicule an’ Tory scorn, Nae amendments accepted frae S.N.P! We cannae win, hoo’er we vote, Except wi’ impotent resistance, We cannae keep oor Country safe, Agin “We’ll hae OOR way!” Insistence! “There’s nae Partnership! Ye’re jist a Part!” Gin this be “Union?” We maun depart! Consequences? Wull ye tell me, gin ye voted “Naw?” In guid faith, that ye’ll bide wi’ Britain, Did ye believe their vaunted “Vow”, Worth the paper, oan which it’s written? The Saltire, frae Scots goods, removed, Fir the Union, they think, it’s ower risky! When they obliterate oor Scottish brand, Then, wull ye buy Great British Whisky? When Fishin’s, yince again, been pawned, Polluted land, whaur it’s been fracked, Substandard foods pervade the shelves, They’ll say, yer vote, their actions backed! Wull it gie ye pause, fir some reflection, Oan votin’ “Aye,” fur oor Land’s protection? Priorities? Aye, there ye hae it, abundant, clear! “Ye can hae yer clamoured wee debate, Tae rant an’ rattle Scottish gums, Bit yer, empty, words are ower late!” “We’ve gie’n ye leave tae pontificate, While we sit doon tae watch the game, Then through the Lobby, we will troop!” Arrogant, righteous an’ devoid o’ shame! “Sae noo we‘ve set the precedent, Whit’er the views o’ Holyrood, Simply, we’ll gang oor ain gaite, An’ let ye aw’ jist moan an’ brood!” “As yer sovereignty gangs tae the wa’, We’ll bide in bars an’ watch fitba!” “An’ be the Nation again!” A hae ma doubts, that they agree, That Scotland is a Nation, Jist a malcontented region, Wha carp abin oor station! Twa Countries joined by treaty, As Equal partners we insist, Bit hoo can there be equality, Unless subjugation, we resist! Gin Scotland died in Seventeen seven, As wee Fluffy has avowed, Then, same, tae England, must apply, Bit he’d ne’er voice thon oot loud! Heed Scotland’s warin’, lest ye see, Whit happens “Daur’” ye “meddle wi’ me!” On McStorytellers on a sunny Summer Solstice, a not-so-sunny tale from Mister McStoryteller himself, Brendan Gisby.
While the staff of the beleaguered and underfunded NHS deserve all the praise that’s going, there’s always the odd exception. Read about a particularly nasty exception in The Cancer Queen. In the McStorytellers McSerial slot today, it’s time for the latest instalment of Wick-based writer Kevin Crowe’s gripping debut novel, Behind Bars.
Life in Strathdubh goes on for Kathleen, Catriona and Brendan. But dark clouds are forming in Birmingham, as well as closer to home. A storm is coming. Read the full story now in Chapters Twenty-Two & Twenty-Three. Then get yourself back here in a fortnight’s time for the next instalment. And remember, if you’ve missed any of the earlier instalments, you can catch up with them by tapping (or using your cursor to hover over) Oor McSerials in the left-hand sidebar and then following the trail. Musselburgh rhymester Roger McKillop has his dander up again. He has things to say about Scottish independence and some harsh words for a certain quisling family, all of which he has expressed in this new trio of poems called Triumpherant. Help ma Boab, it’ll be The Bruce and Comyn all over again! A Dumfries Declaration?
The Bruce, lang syne, in grey Dumfries, Pit paid tae Comyn’s treason, Wi’ “Hope ower Fear” insteed o’ blades, Fir it’s Fluffy’s, noo in season! Wi’ joy an’ humour, let us march, This quislin’ tae disgrace, Wi’ Scotland’s gauntlet thrown doon, Tae meet us face tae face! Bit we need nae alter, stained wi’ blood, Tae set oor Nation free, Jist the combined courage o’ oor folk, Fir aw’ the Warld tae see! When thralldom’s chains, at last are broke, Dumfries, again , hae seen the first stroke! Steppin’ Staines Gin ye want tae croass a river, Ye maun yaise each steppin’ staine, Yin step followed by anithir, Till the faur bank ye can gain! Some Staines micht slide or shoogle, Ithirs covers wi’ slime an’ weed, Gae balanced an’ shair fitted, Oor destination’s whaur they lead! Oor very unity o’ purpose, Is tae set oor Nation free, Then whit course, we steer, there-efter? We maun need tae wait an’ see! Wi’ Scot’s courage, flare an’ brain, Thon course, will be oor ain! Oliver McFluffy Yer jist a chip aff the auld bloack, Or maybe a crumb aff the beard, Ye certainly echo yer faithir, By talkin’ keich, it’s feared! Oor Merch, “Insulted Dumfries, An’ wis agin democracy?” Tae deny Scottish sovereignty, Is sleekit, Tory, hipocracy! Oo merched wi’ hope an’ joy, Oo were open an’ inclusive, Smiled at oor, few, detractors, Nae maitter hoo abusive! Fir Indy 2, yer bile an’ spite, Gangs tae whet oor appetite! In the McStorytellers McSerial slot today, it’s time for the latest instalment of Wick-based writer Kevin Crowe’s gripping debut novel, Behind Bars.
For Catriona’s benefit, her father narrates a thirty-year-old tale of forbidden love. Read the full story now in Chapter Twenty-One. Then get yourself back here in a fortnight’s time for the next instalment. And remember, if you’ve missed any of the earlier instalments, you can catch up with them by tapping (or using your cursor to hover over) Oor McSerials in the left-hand sidebar and then following the trail. If you’re still experiencing those summer thunderstorms, here comes Stewarton-based writer Matthew Richardson to brighten up your Sunday with a large daud of wry Scots humour. In Matthew’s words, “A snooty driver. A passenger with a chip on his shoulder. An enforced car share aboard a lurching ferry. What can go wrong?”
What indeed. Find out in Boarding. |
McBlog AuthorBrendan Gisby is McStoryteller-in-Residence. He's the author of four novels, three biographies and several short story collections. The McStorytellers
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