2009 Greeting

“Scotland’s Year of Homecoming will be officially launched tonight with a Homecoming Burns Supper, hosted by First Minister Alex Salmond, in Alloway. Call me cynical, but with so much of Scottish life and culture worth celebrating, not least the 250th anniversary of our Bard’s birth, are we no in danger of missing the point.”

Rabbie’s comin’ hame

High heid yins want a homecomin
wae muckle clatter, an unco din.
They’re ca’in Scotia’s kith and kin
their roots proclaim.
This nicht, the party shall begin.
Rabbie’s comin’ hame.

Whit sichts and soonds await oor muse?
Shortbreed tins and hielan’ coos,
Donald Trump in tartan trews
wud bring disdain.
Caber-tossin, it wud bemuse.
Rabbie’s comin’ hame.

Jock Tamson’s bairns huv taken root.
Noo, worldwide runs oor repute
Fur worthy, cultural pursuit
tae high acclaim.
An whyles, we like tae tak a toot.
Rabbie’s comin’ hame.

Lang times pas’t since his creation.
This national celebration
must generate inspiration
in oor Bard’s name.
Let us tell the Scottish nation
Rabbie’s comin’ hame.

Four wins hae scattered Alba’s seed
yet lang endures oor nation’s creed.
Tae reinvigorate we need
tae licht the flame.
Wha’s like us, damn few, an’ they’re deid.
Rabbie’s comin’ hame.

But here in Paisley’s hallow’d ha’
monie a year we’ve heard the ca’.
An’ Scotia’s greatest yin of aw
needs no reclaim.
Fur us, he’s never bin awa.
Rabbie’s aye bin hame.

Bob Carruth 2009