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Document : 329
Title    : Lizzie Coutts' Knowe
Author(s): Christine De Luca

Copyright holder(s): Christine De Luca

Text

Oot o scöl on winter days, we'd sprit
across da fud ta Lizzie Coutts' Knowe
sledges nyiggin at wir heels lik aaber whalps.

Hills wirna better med fur sledgin:
low enyoch fur a quick bassel tae da tap;
steep enyoch ta taste da aedge
o danger; lang enyoch ta savour.

We'd pile on
twartree o wis
een on tap o tidder:
belly-gutsie fur da brave
nae trace o faer.
Da runk o iron apo ice,  
snaa spindrifts smookin 
i da face.  A rummel 
o scriechs is we swooshed
owre every bump
afore we cummelled.

Dan hame fur tae, glivs ice-matted,
haands red raw wi pooin apo kiarr.
Inbye fae da spunder o da nicht
wi haet tiftin anunder wir nails
an wir een blinded i da licht.

___
scöl: school;  sprit: dash, race;  fud: flat 'patches of fields'at voe
head;  nyggin: tugging;  aaber: eager; whalps: puppies;  wirna: were not; 
enyoch: enough;  bassel: struggle;  twartree: two or three;  een: one; 
tidder: the other;  belly-gutsie: sledging face-downwards;  runk:
resounding rhythm;  apo: on;  snaa: snow;  spindrifts: (sea) spray; 
smookin: suddenly covering;  rummel: (from verb) to collapse;  scriechs:
screeches;  cummelled: turned upside down;  tae: high tea;  glivs: gloves; 
pooin: pulling;  kiarr:  coir rope;  spunder: (from verb) to race;  tiftin:
throbbing;  anunder: under;  een: eyes.



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Information about document and author:

Text
Text audience
Adults (18+): General public: Males: Females: Audience size: 100+

Text details
Method of composition: Wordprocessed
Year of composition: 1995
Word count: 219
General description: from collection of poems

Text medium
Book: 
Text publication details
Published: Publisher: Shetland Library
Publication year: 1997
Place of publication: Lerwick
ISBN/ISSN: 0-904562-64-6
Edition: 1st
Part of a longer series of texts: Name of series: 'Wast wi da Valkyries'

Text type
Poem/song/ballad: 

Author
Author details
Author id: 120
Forenames: Christine
Surname: De Luca
Gender: Female
Decade of birth: 1940
Educational attainment: University
Age left school: 18
Upbringing/religious beliefs: Protestantism
Occupation: Head of Assessment, Research and Development
Place of birth: Bressay
Region of birth: Shetland
Birthplace CSD dialect area: Sh
Country of birth: Scotland
Place of residence: Edinburgh
Region of residence: Edinburgh
Residence CSD dialect area: Edb
Country of residence: Scotland
Father's occupation: Headmaster
Father's place of birth: Vidlin
Father's region of birth: Shetland
Father's birthplace CSD dialect area: Sh
Father's country of birth: Scotland
Mother's occupation: Primary Teacher
Mother's place of birth: Cunningsburgh
Mother's region of birth: Shetland
Mother's birthplace CSD dialect area: Sh
Mother's country of birth: Scotland

Languages:
Language: English
Speak: Yes
Read: Yes
Write: Yes
Understand: Yes
Circumstances: All
Language: Scots
Speak: No
Read: Yes
Write: No
Understand: Yes
Circumstances: Work, read Scots literature