This Monday-morning-feeling poem turns into something much more jolly! It comes from Bantam, the scintillating, warmly humane, new collection by Jackie Kay, Scotland’s official Makar (Poems from Bantam by Jackie Kay, published by Picador at £14.99).
Bantam is appearing simultaneously with a new Picador Classic edition of Kay’s award-winning memoir, Red Dust Road, with an introduction by Nicola Sturgeon.
A DAY LIKE TODAY
If ever there wis a day
A doon about the mooth day,
A guy dreich and drookit day
When all ye want is tae be
Beddit under the duvet
~
If ever there wis a day
When the hale world seemed crazy
An affy day, when ye lost the will a wee bitty,
A day when aabody is thon way
Affa shivery, a Doom’s day day
~
If ever there wis a day
When the world goes frae
Bad tae wurse
Allagrugous! Lips pursed.
Cursed! In need o’ a nurse!
~
If ever a day, a day, a day
When ye didnae think you’d crack
A smile ne’er mind laugh till ye are greeting, eh? Split
Sides. Laughter’s a rebellion - so it is tae.
Scotland the What: the order o’ the day.
~
It wis the day
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