Friday, 20 March 2015

I belong tae Glasgow by Grant Harbison


Memories
Childhood days
High rise flats
Tenement greys
Inner city
Plastic spoon
Goldbergs
Shipyards
Vibrant toon
Boys playin’ fitba’
Makin’ noise
Lassies skippin’
Void o’ poise
Perpetual rain
The working class hero
Cold winter nights
Temperature sub zero
The customary drunks
Amiable strangers
The two fitba’ teams
Celtic
Rangers 
The smell o’ the subway
The River Clyde
The gang in the next street
Vicious and snide
Waitin’ for yer da oan a Friday night
Waitin’ wi’ yer sister feelin’ uptight
Back fae the pub he’d be bright and sunny
Jumpin’ wi’ glee when we’ got oor pocket money
We’d run to the shop tae get oor treats
Crisps and Irn Bru
And loads o’ sweets
Saturday wis yer favourite day
When yer team wis at home and no playin’ away
When me and ma pal had somethin’ sound
And it probably happened oan every other ground
"Hey mister, can ye gie us a lift?”
Over the turnstile
Immediate and swift
We’d always succeed withoot payin’ any cash
Just wee boys
Bold and brash
Seein’ what we could find in empty hooses
No that much
Rats and mooses
Empty bottles
Jakes in rags
Weathered Hags and dirty mags
Late at night ye’d have the corner boys
Cans in their hand and makin’ lots o’ noise
Full o’ swagger
Full o’ blow
Whistlin’ at the lassies
Puttin’ oan a show
Noo and again ye’d get a scuffle
These hardy lads were easy tae ruffle
Close knit community
Lookin’ after others
Warm hearted women
Yer other mothers
Hard working dads who earned respect
Sturdy men who’d never neglect
And that is ma memories o’ Glasgow city
Ah’m proud tae be a Weegie
Ma wee ditty

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