Love to know what mum's think of the Scottish Baby Box poem

[toomuchpink]

Love to know what mum's - especially those in Scotland - think of this poem. It is going into the Scottish Government's new baby box of freebies for parents of newborns.

Tempted to ask for alternative suggestions which truly capture the experience of having a baby. But perhaps for some people this is what it is like?

Jackie Kay
Welcome Wee One

O ma darlin wee one
At last you are here in the wurld
And wi’ aa your wisdom
Your een bricht as the stars,
You've filled this hoose with licht,
Yer trusty wee haun, your globe o' a heid,
My cherished yin, my hert's ain!

O my darlin wee one
The hale wurld welcomes ye:
The mune glowes; the hearth wairms.
Let your life hae luck, health, charm,
Ye are my bonny blessed bairn,
My small miraculous gift.
I never kent luve like this.

Not ridiculous gin - disagreeing with you.

I am staggered by the vitriol here.

I studied Burns and William McGonnagal (personal favourite being 'The Silvery Bridge o' Tay') when I was at school, IN CHESHIRE.

This chat, "The Scots is authentic/nae. It's not representative, it's not my language" This sound a bit xenophobic. And given that the cost is a huge issue, this poem was free, the poet is already on a stipend, use her!

Poem is utter pile of shite. Reminds me of the poems had to learn in school as pp said... 'In Ma wee rid moter, I cin gang fir miles' no one I knew then or since spoke like that!

Why would anyone study William Mcgonnagal? He was terrible.

Or to put into Scots he was awffy shite.

So twee. £6m a year would pay for approx 170 nurses...

Gin i wholeheartedly agree.

McGonagall??! Oh dear

Do you believe that other forms of art, aside poetry, ballet, painting, music, for example should or shouldn't draw influences from our history or culture. Or should it only represent you?

The idea of studying McGonnagal was to asses what could be or isn't considered "good" and why.

The structure of poetry etc. To understand rather than to dismiss. I think he was quite fun actually. And persistent.

Given that he's already pretty well known as one of the worst poets of the last 100 years, what conclusion did you reach?

X posts. Yep, his complete disregard for his critics was pretty consistent

Persistent even

SirChenjin, that's possibly why you didn't have to learn any Scottish poetry at school, what with you knowing all about it already.

You are so very lucky.

One of my favourite childhood memories is of my dad reading me some Mcgonnagal poems as a bed time story. He couldn't breathe he was laughing so much. They were so dire.

SirChenjin is a snob.

OK derxa

Yes, I am incredibly lucky not to have studied McGonagall Not

That's the thing, art doesn't need to be "good" for it to fulfill a purpose, Sharknado wasn't a good movie, but it was brilliant.

How can it be xenophobic for Scottish people to resent their culture being reduced to wearing a see you jimmy hat and shouting 'jings, crivens and help ma boab.'

We did sunset sing at higher too. It was shite. Literally no one finished the book. And I was in the top set at one of the (supposedly) best state schools in the country.

But does all use of non current language (whether accurate or not) do just that? Or can it be used without it being received as derogatory?

Very true - McGonagall has shown how not to write poetry that stands up to positive scrutiny, that's for sure.

Plus the poem wasn't just bad because it was written 'Scots' - whatever the hell that is because no Scot I know speaks like that. The poem was bad because it was mawkishly sentimental and inappropriate for new mums as it completely fails to acknowledge the complexity of feelings new motherhood brings.

Milady- were you at school in the NE?