Til 'RLS'

This poem was written by the Caithness author and columnist, James Miller, and is contained within his collection of poems, 'Fangan wi Verses', published in 2002. It is read here by the author.<br /> <br /> 'Robert Louis Stevenson spent a few weeks in Wick in 1868, part of his brief attempt to learn civil engineering. In an essay he wrote disparagingly about the town.<br /> <br /> Ee got it wrong aboot Week, ma loon;<br /> 'e meanest of man's toons on e baldest o God's beiys.'<br /> Yon wisna e richt thing til say;<br /> ee didna ken e fowk, ee didna ken wir weiys<br /> at first. An ee wis noor cut oot<br /> til be an engineer lek your faither's faither<br /> an pit a lichthoose on e Skerries.<br /> No, we ken at ee wid raither<br /> traivel through Reekie's hotchan wynds<br /> an at Poetry's well sit doon an take your dram.<br /> Bit we ken as weel as fan ee left<br /> e north and took e long road hom<br /> at amang your tulgeans wis memories<br /> o e sea's work, o boats an wrecks, and maybe a man<br /> caad Gunn<br /> at we'd meet again on a fantasy island.<br /> So, fan aa is said an done,<br /> ee micht be wishan, Tusitala,<br /> at ee could tak your pen an yon line strick oot;<br /> but ye canna; an we widna<br /> want ee til cheinge id now, I doot.<br /> <br /> [Tusitala (teller of tales) was the name given to Stevenson by the Samoan people]<br /> <br /> James (Jim) Miller was born and brought up in Caithness. After spells abroad with VSO and the British Council, he returned to the Highlands to work as a freelance writer. He has several books to his credit, including a novel 'A Fine White Stoor' and non-fiction works such as 'Salt in the Blood', 'The North Atlantic Front', 'The Dambuilders' and 'Swords for Hire: The Scottish Mercenary'. Some of his Caithness dialect poetry was published in 'Fangan wi Verses'. Jim also writes for the 'John O' Groat Journal', 'Caithness Courier' and 'Inverness Courier'.