Scots poem of the Month - January 2008

Snawy Beach Brockit as collie dugs wi snaw an brook, Troon shore plays fesh wi folk. Kelpies ramp in puppy games, tossin thirsel lik sticks throu a ruff o waves, kist an kyte white as wrack wid. Snawy hackles liftet bi last nicht’s frost, weans tug the fur tae snawba’s, or smuith it wi their sled, penny dugged bi parents aye in ahint. Rowena M. Love Poem supplied courtesy of the Scottish Poetry Library

The Inspiration for the Poem Rowena says: 'Troon seldom gets snow.  When it does, it rarely lies.  On this occasion, the freezing temperatures overnight had not only preserved the snow, it had crystallized it, to give a 3-D effect.  It was Christmastime and by Boxing Day everyone and his wife had turned out to enjoy the snow; the promenade was mobbed.  We were all wrapped up like onions in our layers of woollens, scarves and coats – except for the bunch of youngsters who dashed through the snow for a swim.  I still shiver just at the memory of them.'

About the Poet Rowena M Love has a foot on both coasts, having been brought up in Dunbar but now living in Troon.  She started writing poetry in 1997 and since then has had well over two hundred poems published and broadcast both here and abroad.  As well as featuring in a number of different anthologies, she has one solo collection, The Chameleon of Happiness, and one joint one, Running Threads.  She did the latter in association with the three other poets of the Makar Press, with whom she has done over 50 poetry readings and performances around Scotland.  She is Writer in Residence for Ayrshire charity Writability.