A Lane Leeterature

by Donald Adamson

Thir's Pictish nems cairved in stane
but nae sentences. Or just the yin –
Iirann uract cheuc chrocs, whase owersettin
wuid be ‘Iirann made this cross.’

Did Iirann – if yon wis his nem – 
or hers, whae kens? – conseeder in the pride
o his craift that this wuid be his maist 
unique memorial?

A think o him, the dings and dunts
o his chisel, the bonny howks and straiks 
and A wunner if he’d a norrie 
o whit he hud achieved –

creatin the lane leeteratur
o his people in fower wuirds,
leavin a testimony, a text for scholarts
tae wrastle wi thretteen centuries oan.

Maist like naw. His chisellin tool
wis his anely pen, and he vailyied mair
the pairmanence o stane, no wuirds
in a leid that wuid pass, as aa leids dae.