“The Sodgers”, by Alexander Scott (1920–1989)
Alexander Scott landed in Normandy in 1944 with the Gordon Highlanders, & saw action in the Ardennes & crossing the Rhine. He later became Head of Scottish Literature at the University of Glasgow, was president of ASL from 1976–79, & was a founding editor of our annual anthology NEW WRITING SCOTLAND
Today, 6 June, is the anniversary of D-Day
#Scottish #literature #DDay #poem #poetry #20thcentury #warpoem #warpoetry #WW2 #Scots #Scotslanguage
Hey! Jock, are ye glad ye ’listed?
O Jock, but ye’re far frae hame!
What d’ye think o’ the fields o’ Flanders?
Jockey lad, are ye glad ye came?
—Neil Munro, “Hey, Jock, are ye glad ye ’listed?”
in FROM THE LINE: Scottish War Poetry 1914–1945
Munro served as a war correspondent during WW1. His own son, Hugh, was killed in action in 1915
3/5
https://asls.org.uk/publications/books/volumes/from_the_line/
When you were people
We could have loved you,
Found out your names
And brought you presents…
—“Poem for Innocent Victims of War” by AC Jacobs (1937–1994) – born #OTD, 30 May
Published in NAMELESS COUNTRY: Selected Poems (Carcanet, 2018)
A 🎂 🧵
1/6
https://www.carcanet.co.uk/9781784106751/nameless-country/
#Scottish #literature #poetry #Jewish #diaspora #20thcentury #warpoetry
The houses stir and pluck their roofs and walls
Apart as if in play and fling their stones
Against the sky to make a common arc
And fall again. The conflagrations raise
Their mountainous precipices…
—Edwin Muir, “The River”
5/10
#Scottish #literature #poem #poetry #20thCentury #EdwinMuir #Orkney #warpoetry #ww2
It is VE Night, Tobermory.
Cottages blaze and shimmer in the mirror of the bay.
Light is necklaced everywhere…
—Hugh McMillan, “Old Photograph”
published in AFTER THE STORM (Smith/Doorstop Books, 2005)
https://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poem/old-photograph/
Cantie in seaside simmer on the dunes,
I fling awa my dowp of cigarette
whaur bairns hae biggit castles out of sand
and watch the reik rise frae the parapet…
—Robert Garioch Sutherland (1909–1987), “During a Music Festival”
https://asls.org.uk/publications/books/volumes/from_the_line/
#Scottish #literature #poem #poetry #warpoetry #WW2 #VEDay #Scots #Scotslanguage
Thàinig uair-san leis na sligean,
leis na spealgan-iarainn beàrnach,
anns an toit is anns an lasair,
ann an crith is maoim na h-àraich…
—Somhairle MacGill-Eain (Sorley MacLean) (1911–1996), “Curaidhean” (“Heroes”)
https://asls.org.uk/publications/books/volumes/from_the_line/
#Scottish #literature #Gaidhlig #Gaelic #poem #poetry #WarPoetry #WW2 #VEDay
Now the soldier has come home.
He has fought his way back
To the faces of the gnome-children
With still magic in their glances…
—James Findlay Hendry (1912–1986), “The Return”
Today, 8 May, is the 81st anniversary of VE Day
https://asls.org.uk/publications/books/volumes/from_the_line/
Assoc for Scottish Literature
Art of FACELESS