Hullo ma wee blog,
Two Sheherds. {1964}
Donald ran and roared and brandished
his stick and swore
in all the languages
he knew, which were some.
Pollochan sauntered. stood
six feet three silent: with a small
turn of the hand
He'd send a collie flowing
round the half-mile-long arc
of a towsy circle.
Two poets
Donysian,
Apollonian
and the sheep in a pen.
Norman MacCaig.
8 comments:
Michty me! it's not often with Mr MacCaig that I have to go and ask wikipedia for a bit of help - my greek mythology and general philosophical learning is a bit poor. The portrayal of Donald and Pollochan though in a few short lines is just brilliant.
Short, sweet, fabulous.
What a briliant wee poem Al - not one I'd seen before! Thanks very much for that. I never thought I could look forward to reading the Sunday Post so much! Cheers, SNB
Hullo folks - I'm pleased you're enjoying these like I am. Pollochan featured in several of his poems and will appear again.
I started putting post-its into a book of MacCaigs poetry to mark some poems I'd like to include in the 'Sunday Post' series and have ended up with a book full of post-its!
Looks like this may be a long running series!
I'd recommend anyone to go and find a book of his collections and buy it. Incredible stuff.
I'm certainly enjoying MacCaig. thanks for sharing!
glad you're enjoying him - being a fellow poet yirsel' 'n that like........
Another brilliant one Alistair - short and sweet for sure, but highly enjoyable.
Thanks Nicky - hard not to post a good one when there are so many to choose from. Amazing how so few words can convey such meaning or paint a huge picture. He is so intimate in his knowing of people and places. A fabulous talent. I've spent hours and hours reading his work {3rd book now} and he's got such a deft touch to go with such insight.
{he was well known as a grunmpy so and so too}
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