Poem of the month - May 2007

Streetwyce On a street* i the Cheviots atween the Hounam Rings an Blackburrie Fort Ah met wi Heck Hogg an Ah speird at him div ee ken Jack Murray? but he rowed intil a baw an fae the fleas on his back answer came there nane. Syne Ah met wi Dodd Fox, but he slippet me a sleikit luik an smooled intil a skye, syne: dunt, dunt, dunt kythes Badger Brock sae Ah speirt at him div ee ken Jock Murray? Quo he Ah kent his fither the laddie wis tae follie ahint the fither, but whaur he's gan aboot the day Ah cudnae say. Syne afore Ah cud aquent him th'Inn's no bin there this ten year or mair Brock's siller dowp's gan dunt, dunt, dunt doon the dairk howe till Hounam Toon. Mirk nicht on a street i the Cheviots an Ah mind his shavin brush o badger hair an his razor that ay lay aside the mirror an ah thank ee fither Ah'm denied thrice ower on a street as heich's yon. *The street is an old drove road in the Cheviots John Murray from Chiaroscuro (diehard publishers, 2001) Poem supplied courtesy of the Scottish Poetry Library

About the Poet John Murray says, 'I stay in Kelso and teach Landscape Architecture at Edinburgh College of Art. Recent publications are 'Chiaroscuo' by Diehard in 2001 and 'Tweed Rivers' (River Teviot) by Platform Projects in 2005. Another concrete poem from this project based on river names appeared in 'the Order of Things' by Canongate Pocket Books in 2001. I was second in the Wilderness Writing competition run by the Scottish Borders Book Festival in 2005, with a poem called Wild Plant from China in a Botanic Garden.'

About the Poem 'The poem documents a 'wind up' by local sculptor Denys Mitchell, who had been cycling one summer evening on the Street in question, and asked the animals he met whether they had heard of me. My father did have a shaving brush of badger hair, which was an object of fascination for a child. Finally, there is a reference to Peter's repeated denial of Christ.'