Poems and Songs

Cramond

A canty neuk whaur Almond joins the Forth.

Ye daunder doun the brae

Wi’ views o’ Fife’s green “Kingdom” to the north

Ayont the wee bit bay

Whaur Cramond Island rises frae the sand, 

Its “haufway” causey raxin oot frae land.

Amang the tombs the auld Kirk seems to hide

Wi elms abune its heid.

The white-washed biggins by the water-side

Are crouned wi’ tiles o’ reid,

Whaur Charon, yachtin-capped (his fee saxpenny)

Will oar ye, no’ to Hades, but Dalmenny.

The Kirk, the Inn, the Ferry - a’ historic,

But lang afore their day

They spak a lingo here that wasna Doric:

Professor bodies say

That ance the Romans had a muckle fort,

And diggin for its founds is a’ their sport.

Noo leggy lads and lassies steer their Hornets

Aboot the narrow reach

While weans frae Pilton sook their ice-cream cornets

Or picnic on the beach

And jos, stravaigin on the esplanade,

Can view the gasworks through the gatherin shade.

But still the sea-birds pipe their oorie cries

Athort the Lothians mud

And still the sunset pents the evenin skies

Wi’ palette maist gane wud

And aye its colours fade afore the een

As gloamin casts its glamerie on the scene.

Douglas Fraser

1963

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