Poet Required
After hearing Robert Crawford’s compelling evocation of ‘the poet as bearer of cultural tradition’ at the otherwise often dire Edinburgh Book Festival (bland, corporate, rigid, expensive) and his reading of Clan Donald’s Call to Battle at Harlaw, attention has turned to the role of who can replace the irreplaceable Edwin Morgan. Whilst some think the title of ‘Makar’ is naff and couthie, and others think that this is just Cultural Cringe 2.0, some, including Crawford, think that the post itself is made redundant by the existence of our actual exisiting national poet (a clue, he’s deid and from Ayrshire)
When pressed from the audience Crawford stated he wouldn’t name names then offered the following shortlist: Tom Leonard, Kathleen Jamie, Liz Lochead, Don Patterson.
Others have mentioned Jackie Kay, Douglas Dunn , and indeed Robert Crawford. To which Bella would add Eck Finlay, Aonghas MacNeacail and Roddy Lumsden.
It’s a good opportunity to define the role. It should be someone who can read as well as write. Poetry is a live event. The Makar should be given a budget and a free reign, should be forced to travel the world for a bit, should be allowed a generous entertainment remit and perhaps should have a four or five year ‘term’ so its not seen as a reward for our most elderly poet.
Kathleen Jamie is strong on concept and big picture (‘an upturned boat is a watershed’), Alec Finlay is a master collaborator and innovator and Tom Leonard would be brilliant – but whoever it is they should heed Crawfords advice: “Be dashing, be diligent, Be eager, be elegant, Be foxy, be ferrety, Be fervid, be furious…”
Have to say I’ve always preferred ‘makar’ to ‘poet’ – it has a more workmanlike air to it, and Scottish poetry always had an earthier feel. A few fields of golden daffodils goes a long way with me, I’d rather have the blunt realities.
Makar is couthie?
Neither of the syllables nor any of the letters embarass me. The phonics don’t strike me as intrinsically unsophisticated.
So – how couthie?
Ah, of course. ALL Scots words are couthie! Perhaps that’s why we (‘we’ excludes the hoi polloi – obviously) let a little knowing smile play around our lips when we over enunciate picturesque ‘wee’ Scottish words.
My vote is for Tom Leonard. Partly because he is now Scotland’s “greatest living poet”. And partly just to watch him rise to splendid apoplexy at the very idea of being a national poet!
I think Tom Leonard is brilliant and would do what any makar should do: shake us up! Maybe he wouldn’t want the job, though?
Having a permanent position for Makar in Scotland shouldn’t be seen as a gimmick. The English have the poet laureate, we need to support our distinct and diverse poetic traditions and cultures.
Brian Johnstone, Sheena Blackhall, Kevin Cadwallender, Kathleen Jamie … above all let’s have someone who LIVES here, please
is this what your looking for
THE WOOL OWER OOR EYES
by robert walker
how oaften hae we heard their cries
an hae ye luk’d intae their eyes
does it come wae nae surprise,
ye’ll need a slueth
tae wade thru’ a’ the piles o’ lies,
tae fin the truth
the government, wha ur they
tae lead us oan day tae day
bit a’ that they huv got tae sae,
is no sae right
the basis that they want tae lay
is a load o’ shite
o’ ye keepers o’ mankind
dae ye sleep wae peace’fu mind
fae damnation ye declined
tae save oor soul
for ye made mither nature blind
for yer ain goal
the emission o’ co2
is relevent tae me an you
as politicians rant an spew
their gospel word
their daggers hae a blood red hue
o’ how absurd
the climate change is what they fight
wae a’ their strength an a’ their might
but it will come at day oar night
their cruel intention
tae releive us o’ a breathin’ space
is ca’d extinction
how many times hae we been told
by politicians young an old
we’re speedin’ up by tenfold
the centigrade
but who’ll raise oor pot o’ gold
come next live aid
the human race is bein’ blamed
an humbled intae be’in ashamed
tae live life like we’ve a’ been tamed
by oor masters voice
an many o’ us a’ think the same
we’ve had nae choice
dinnae beleive a’ ye read
we cannae let them tak the lead
for they are a’ fueled by greed
oot for theirsel’
a hope tae see a’ their heids
in bleezin’ hell
but this tae me is the ultimate sin
ye cannae breathe oot, but only in
for we’ll be taxed for respiratin’
just wait an see
for oot o’ sight this laws been writin’
for oor poverty
their tryin’ tae make oor poverty worse
than any egyptian pharoh’s curse
the co-op’s busy wae its hearse
tae plant us a’
a just hope theirs money in oor purse
when we baith fa’
but they want us a’ tae go by fire
an stoke the pile higher an higher
tae a mount everest o’ a pyre
o’ common folk
tae their kingdom o’ heaven they’ll retire
an that’s nae joke
sae george w bush an tony blair
hae show’d us a’ that they don’t care
but a think we’d better a’ beware
o’ what they mean
hingin’s to guid for that bloody pair
an their war machine
sae ministers, councilers walk on by
ma ain front door an dinnae try
tae fill ma heid wae a’ yer lies
an beguiling wit
a just think yer a’ hessian sacks
that are fu’ o’ shit
Fellow Caledonians,
Sad to see Edwin pass.
Who can replace him
National Bard and National Makar are all well and good, but I’m reminded of one of Tom Leonard’s poems ; which was a poster -poem stating that there would be a meeting to decide the spelling (of the same poster).
Scotland needs a National Poet.
It should be Tom Leonard.
It’s just got to be Tam Leonard.
When I was at school, his volume “Intimate Voices” was really popular, loads of kids read it and it wasn’t on no curriculum.
Nope : his book just got passed around and we loved because he wrote poems about Celtic and my favorite short poem…….
“It’s an ill wind that blaws nae cunt fuck all good”.
Aye-Aye
John Paul
I’d add Carol Ann Duffy to the list. Just because she’s poet laureate doesn’t mean she’s stopped being Scottish. And if you look at her recent poems, it’s safe to say that the Queen’s shilling hasn’t corrupted her.