ettercop ettercop

ettercop ettercop threed me a wab
warp it an weft it ower humlock and snab
or hing it atween the bourtree an whin
an let it flee oot lik thrums on the win

emmerteen, emmerteen, heap me a howe
fae the reivins o pine-wid roont in a knowe
tak aa the scatterins aff thicket an tree
as a den for yer brithers an sisters an thee

kail flee kail flee growe me sic wings
as wad sail me awa till the pirr-win brings
back tae this gairden the flooer an the seed
an the kail flee asleep in his ain noddie-heid

© BH, 2024

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A poem written in the small hours. Suddenly the Scots names for insects seemed important and flew round my mind till most of this came out.

Here’s a glossary:

bourtree – the common elder
kail flee - butterfly
emmerteen - ant
ettercop - spider
noddie-heid (Tammie-noddie-heid) - chrysalis
snab – rough ground
thrums – threads, warp-ends in weaving