SCOTS Project - www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk Document : 264 Title : My Place in the Shawl Author(s): Anna Blair Copyright holder(s): Anna Blair Text The first thing I can mind of now Ow'r ninety years and more Me, girning-faced and snivelling Outside my Granny's door. For I had been supplanted now Rejected once't for all. Another wean was happit there Inside my Mammy's shawl. Now, not for me the soft and warm The smell of breast and cheek Safe and snug in the tartan rug From the grey street, raw and bleak. My Ma had swelled and borne this wean That nuzzled there at her neck And I was OUT and my blae knees sore When my Granny opened the sneck. She held out her arms, but no' for me Like as if she wasnae care'n Never ev'n said 'Hen' as she elbowed me ben But just heeshie-bawed at the bairn. Such times was to come again and again As reg'lar as time and tide The last wean out for the newest sprout And whingeing there at my side. But I hated my Ma and my Granny that day And the wee yin I couldnae thole All meuling and pewking and wrinkled red And taking MY place in the shawl. This work is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. The SCOTS Project and the University of Glasgow do not necessarily endorse, support or recommend the views expressed in this document. Information about document and author: Text Text audience General public: Audience size: 1 Text details Method of composition: Handwritten Year of composition: 1998 Word count: 195 Text setting Leisure/entertainment: Private/personal: Text type Poem/song/ballad: Author Author details Author id: 127 Forenames: Anna Surname: Blair Gender: Female Decade of birth: 1920 Educational attainment: College Age left school: 17 Upbringing/religious beliefs: Protestantism Occupation: Teacher/author Place of birth: Giffnock Region of birth: Glasgow Birthplace CSD dialect area: Gsw Country of birth: Scotland Place of residence: Glasgow Region of residence: Glasgow Residence CSD dialect area: Gsw Country of residence: Scotland Father's occupation: Business Father's place of birth: Glasgow Father's region of birth: Glasgow Father's birthplace CSD dialect area: Gsw Father's country of birth: Scotland Mother's occupation: Business Mother's place of birth: Glasgow Mother's region of birth: Glasgow Mother's birthplace CSD dialect area: Gsw Mother's country of birth: Scotland Languages: Language: English Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: Language: French Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: Visits to France, correspondence Language: Scots Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: