From the anthology, Declarations: On Freedom for Writers and Readers, Professor Sir Tom Devine has selected three prize winners. We are delighted to announce that Donald Adamson was selected for his piece “The Wirth o Freedom”
April 6, 2020From the anthology, Declarations: On Freedom for Writers and Readers, Professor Sir Tom Devine has selected three prize winners. We are delighted to announce that Donald Adamson was selected for his piece “The Wirth o Freedom“
Donald Adamson
The Wirth o Freedom
Certes, Freedom is a noble thing
for thaim that’s haed tae fecht for it,
thaim that rots in tyranie’s fell jyles –
an thaim that arenae seelenced, thaim that daur
tae speik the truth tae pooer.
A’m thinkin o yon lassie, barely a wean,
warnin o spreidin wastelaunds, risin seas.
Some say she’s mental,
ithers imaigin whit they’d dae wi her:
she wisnae brocht up richt,
they’d swiftly skelp the haiverins oot o her
(for freedom, whiles, is ugsome
whan it is gien tae fowk wi ugsome thochts
an the will tae act on thaim).
Freedom – ‘that nae honest man gies up
but wi his life’ – yon’s wuirds tae heeze the hert.
Yet aftwhiles nou A’m feart or fou o wrath
like Greta, at the thocht o whaur we’re gaun
an wunnerin whit Freedom will be wirth
gin airth’s like a braken jaur
whaur ilka bonny thing is brent tae stour.
certes: undoubtedly; fell jyles: terrible prisons; haiverins: nonsense; ugsome: odious; heeze: uplift; hert: heart; gin (hard ‘g’): if; airth: earth; jaur: jar; ilka: every; brent: burnt; stour: dust
Declarations on Freedom for Writers and Readers is published by Scotland Street Press, ISBN 978-1-910895-42-9, price £9.99, and is available from 6 April 2020 from the publisher www.scotlandstreetpress.com and from bookshops when they re-open.