In Stoneyburn

#In Stoneyburn

In Stoneyburn his ashes lay
Home at last frae lands afar,
And whisper down the alleyway
Following a ghostly star.

They sing a song of Scotland past:
Mull and Eigg and battles done,
Of misty lochs, a bonnie lass–
Gloried youth that now is gone.  

But all his songs are coronachs;
All his melodies are sad.
For every time Misfortune knocks
Scotland gladly shook his hand.

And so the piper pipes a tune
High upon the windy brae
To dance with thistles, roughly strewn
In Stoneyburn, where ashes lay.

#Author's Note

This is a piece written in an intricate form called Ae Freislighe (pronounced "aye freshly"). It's an ancient Scotch-Irish Gaelic poetic form that was used by the bardic classes, called fili, to document historic events and tragedies, and pass down the knowledge to the next generation. The best fili in the country often held as much land as a clan chief or Duke, and held a similar social role and title.

This one is about my gaffy (granddad on my mum's side). May he find rest in the land of his fathers.

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