Thule Revisited By Christine De Luca

Thule Revisited - Christine De Luca. The poet recalls Norwegian fishing boats calling at Waas (Walls).

Read By Christine De Luca

Thule Revisited

ln late simmer dey cam: we'd hear
der muffled throb: Norske boats
makkin fur laand.

An dan we'd see dem, far oot bi Linga,
plooin da voe wi a frush a froad
an maas divin.

Tae men dat fished da Foula shaalds, a voe
an hooses strung alang da banks
wis maistlins hame.   

We'd sprit tae beat dem tae da pier, watch  
is dey aeged in peerie wyes, wan bi wan
muvin ta rest.

Der boats wir gowld an white, neebin
lik dunters i da jap, nay sicht o varg,
aathin tuckit in an trig

A line o bairns, we'd luk, an dey wid smile:
dey hed da very cast o wir faiders,
uncles, bridders.

We couldna spaek tae dem, but liftit
wirds wrocht fae common treeds: we'd rin hom
wi a skurtfoo o soonds.   

We'd wave is dey daandered tae da shop, skoit
is dey stunkit back wi a hail o sweeties  
fur der bairns.

Dey'd cum alang aboot da nicht
wi a piece o shark: mam wid spread da maet,
faider a map.

He'd shaw dem names der forebears hed gien
ta every gyo, every broo an croft, lik Brunnatwatt
an Leravoe.

An dey'd see kent names lik Kurkigarth an Grönivoe
Trölligarth, Stapness, Pointataing, Stove
an Dale.

An we wid watch an winder if da bairns o lang ago
wid a rin ta hoid, whin dey sa da soondless Norskes
i da voe.