THE MACHIRE SANDS

THE MACHIRE SANDS

Wild rabbits live

In the machire sands

Above the shore

In the wild grasslands

For long before

The tourists came

Walking the lane

To the far headland

Where the old church stands

Watching the sound

For the long boat Danes

And before they staid

Rabbits in the machire played.

THE OTTER CROSSING

THE OTTER CROSSING

And the sign says

“Otters Crossing”

They have Right of Way!

All other beasts

Like horse and cart

Cats and cars

And humans are

To Use the Gate

And Wait!

While Otters cross

For from today

Otters have the

Right of Way.

ONE WATCHFUL BUNNY

ONE WATCHFUL BUNNY

Under the gorse one bunny keeps watch

Nibble, nibbling, quietly sniffing the wind.

This one bunny no-one will catch

Or his brothers and uncles or family find

For one bunny watching will alert his kind.

THE FISHERMAN'S DAUGHTER

THE FISHERMAN'S DAUGHTER

Father sailed with the fishermen on the dawn sea swell

Leaving me with the herring fresh today to sell

Two for a penny sir, please would you buy

For my father toils hard upon the sea to try

I wish him safe while catching the fish

Two for a penny sir, clean and fresh.

PRETTY FLOWERS

 

PRETTY FLOWERS

 

Pretty petals from Peru

Bright flowers far from once you grew

Along the Inca roads and trails

Steep mountain sides of sun and hail

Flowering now in Stornaway

Across the ocean far away.

CROSSING THE SOUND

CROSSING THE SOUND

 

The ferry takes me far away

From Ullapool to Stornaway

Or Leverburgh to Berneray.

Underneath the ferry’s foam

The fish, and whales and dolphins roam.

O ferry, ferry bring me back

To the outer isles for I do lack

The moving sea or wheeling gulls

And heather breeze

And they might not remember me.

BY SEAL COVE

BY SEAL COVE

The sea waves whisper secrets

But where have the bright seals gone?

Over wide ocean, through wild foam

To fish and play far away from home.

Seals so big with eyes so sad

Please come back to the cove and make me glad.

BAA BAA BERNERAY BLACK SHEEP

BAA BAA BERNERAY BLACK SHEEP

Baa baa Bernery black sheep

Where did you leave your wool?

Some on the heather, some on the hill

We don't have any to send to the mill

So sit fireside and tend your still,

Baa baa Noni Ogg, Baa baa.