Chuckies fir the Cairn

RAB WILSON was born in New Cumnock, Ayrshire, in 1960. After an engineering apprenticeship with the National Coal Board heleft the pits following the miners' strike of 1984-5 to become a psychiatric nurse. As a Scots poet, his work has appeared in The Herald as well as Chapman, Lallans and Markings magazines. Rab has performed his work at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the StAnza poetry festival at St Andrews, the 'Burns an a' That' Festival at Ayr, Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, the Wickerman Festival, and many other gatherings large and small. He was 'Bard of the Festival' at Wigtown, Scotland's National Book Town. Additionally, Rab is a previous winner of the McCash Poetry Prize and for the past three years has been the 'Robert Burns Writing Fellow In Reading Scots' for Dumfries and Galloway Arts Association. Currently a member of the Scots Language Resource Centre's national council, Rab also sat recently on the Ministerial Advisory Group on Scots Language at the Holyrood Parliament. He is a 'weel-kent' advocate for Scots writing. He now lives in New Cumnock with his wife Margaret and daughter Rachel.

'The poets Rab Wilson has gathered in this anthology represent and important and often neglected strand in contemporary Scottish poetry. Native Scots-speaking poets whose chosen language is distinct from English and expressive beyond the capacities of that sister-language, they are committed to their country, their place and the people who inhabit the world beside them. However, earthed and native as they are, there is nothing narrowing or oversimplified here.'- ALAN RIACHThe range and liveliness of the poems are a testament to the continuing vitality of the Scots language in Dumfries and Galloway- THE HERALD

• IntroductionLIZ NIVENEfter Ye Cam Back Fae MalawiEatin LocustsIn Memoriam Solway HarvesterCometHearin A Sang Fae Ma BoatHinnieDOUG CURRANThe Basket MakersAye When Simmer CamInaThe Smiddy At The WhaupThe Silent HooseWalkin The Horses HameOn Cairnfield HeichtsAuld Time DancinFactory DeemsThe Men Frae Radio UlsterDAVID DOUGLASDancin FrogsDangerous WurdsIn A To?oerLiftinMaternityThe GiraffeHideyoshi RepliesJoes FieldKennin EinsteinPuffin BillyTam Bides HameJOHN BURNSBricht In The Licht O HeavenAbuin The Hill FuitsScliffs O LichtJohnny Maxwell DancesFriscoThe Boonds O HeavenThe Licht Aye-BidanKenshoThe Leafs Maun FaaUntitledJOSIE NEILLMe An Katie MorrisonThe WattergawHeritageMullwharcharMairi StuartOrra TinkTibbie LogieA Christmas PoemLament For MacDiarmidMakars WarslinHUGH BRYDENBalloonChappin Chairlie?FagsHis Faither's VoiceChipshop CheckmateMetaphor?Cryin In Ma BeerShavingIf Ah Could Talk Tae The AirtistsJOHN MANSONToun GraveyairdSounAuld Notes1903GellLoddan NeepsPleuanThe StirkReidmasachSan Martino Del CarsoDeid O NichtBleck Stane On Tap O A White StaneWILLIE NEILLThe Auld GrunnDrumbarchan MainsKailyard And AfterFirst Keek At A CorpHielant John 1930Fitsides Wi A Prood HizzieA Faur Cry Frae AuchinleckSeasonsThe Power Of AdvertisingA Celtic HistoryFaur Ahint Maun Follae FasterHertsawBETTY TINDALPreservin MemoriesGreen MossThe LetterThe SlaesGlimpsing The UnicornReelin Back The YearsJist A DomesticTurning Tae SangJoyfu SouchWalking The LineWinter GlaurP- P- P ?? ProstitutionANGUS MACMILLANBalla Samhach / Lown WaTha e sileadh an Leodhas / It Is Rainin In LewisGearan na cuilegeagan-mheanbh / The Midges' ComplaintToimhseachan / ConundrumFear-labhairt deireannach / The Hinmaist SpeikerUisge Beatha / Uisge BeathaDannsa 'san t-seomar-feitheamh / Dancin In The Waitin RoomCiste / KistGaelic HaikuHistorical ShortsTartan BriefsDEREK ROSSWaterloo Tower, New AbbeyStaunin StanesFirst GemmeMuseum O ScotlandHadrian?s WaDunbae RoadTideOriginsForest CottageDry Stane DykeRAB WILSONBigginExtract from The Ruba?iyat of Omar Khayyam: In ScotsThe National ConversationHeraclitusDiffugere NivesHeroesDumfounert Wi WunnerSomerfield Checkout Coonter #2Playin MacDiarmid At Scrabble