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Document : 331
Title    : Da cockle shall (Busta, Sannis)
Author(s): Christine De Luca

Copyright holder(s): Christine De Luca

Text

Gyo o Busta, roond is a cockle: we'd watch 
fur sels here, skip stons, kyemp fur da finest shalls.  
We'd barely lift wir een ta see hits shape: 
dat sam shall pattern at spread hitsel
owre midders' makkin: therteen loops taen in
dan löt oot slowly on an openwark o gengs:
waves at shaded ta inky-blueness wi da wind.

Da day, hoors swittle trowe dy fingers
is du seeks, as eence I sought, da perfect ston 
ta skip.  Tree skips 'll dö, een mair is last year.  
Da rings du maks spread fast.  Last simmer here
eicht selkies bobbed lik bowes: eyed wis, dived, 
eyed wis again.  Dey left nae spreadin rings: 
art hoidin artistry.  I watch dy ston dance,

defy da wyes o watter, da skip o years.
Wi dee a'm richt back: we skile fur sels, 
seek cockle shalls, weigh da import o stons; 
skip an höve dem, fur da sea ta bring back,
ta lay up and mak again in time's lap.

___
da cockle shall: a lace pattern in knitting (which requires 13 stitches to
be purled together);  gyo: steep, narrow inlet;  sels, selkies: seals; 
kyemp: compete;  shalls: sea shells;  wir: our;  een: eyes;  hits: its; 
dat, that: at: that, which;  hitsel: itself;  midder: mother;  makkin:
knitting;  loops: stitches;  taen: taken;  dan: then;  löt: let (past
tense);  openwark: lace knitting;  gengs: rows of knitting;  da day: today;
 hoors: hours;  swittle: splash gently; trowe: through; dy: your
(familiar); du: you (familiar);  dö: do;  een: one;  is: as, than;  maks:
makes, knits;  eicht: eight;  bowes: buoys;  wis: us;  dey: they;  hoidin:
hiding; wyes: ways;  dee: you (familiar);  skile: look with eyes shielded; 
höve: throw;  dem: them;  lay up: cast on stitches.



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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: 292
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