Newhaven

Newhaven
by Gerda Stevenson

Heel-kickin hame frae a lang day at school,
lowpin ow’r the cobbles, like a wee whirlpool,
I breenge, I breel, and the willie-gous squeal,
gandigowsters blaw like a carlin’s reel!
Herrin fur tea, then I lay doon ma heid,
tak oot a book, and hae a bit read
aboot Newhaven, the toon whaur I bide,
the mercat, lichthoose, harbour, and tide;
the white horses ride, ma een are closin,
nod-nid-noddin, doverin, doverin,
the blue saut watter croonin, dronin,
I’m driftin, sweemin, showdin, floatin

in a dwam on braid waves o sleep,
boats drift by on the Firth sae deep.
I hear a lanely sang o whales like ghaists;
nets in the moonlicht wave like lace.
Newhaven, Newhaven, sing tae me,
ma hame, Newhaven, wi yer dancin sea!
Fishin floats glent and drift –
tirlin globes like planets i the lift;
an auld wumman bendin
ow’r the net-mendin:
ma great grand-mither –
her darg niver-endin;
bairns playin peevers, lauchin in the street,
but when they faa, skint knees mak them greet!
They’re stackin fish boxes tae mak play-huts,
Och – the clarty guff o deid fish guts!

Newhaven, Newhaven, sing tae me,
ma hame, Newhaven, wi yer dancin sea!
The tide rides in, and the tide rides oot,
sails they blaw and ships they hoot,
I’m nod-nid-noddin, doverin, doverin,
driftin, sweemin, showdin, floatin;
I see a braw ship – leamin, glisterin,
The Great Michael! – gowd decks skinklin,
a war ship built frae the forests o Fife,
its guns wud mak ye feart fur yer life!
Newhaven, Newhaven, sing tae me,
ma hame, Newhaven, wi yer dancin sea!
The Great Michael sails me intae the dawn,
ma tired een appen on a Newhaven morn;
news o faimilies drooned in the sea,

news o muckle men wha cannae agree;
news o wars, far, far awaa,
ile slicks spreidin on the oceans ow’r aa –
I dinnae want war, I want war tae cease,
a brave new warld that’s a haven o peace,
Newhaven, Newhaven, sing tae me,
ma hame, Newhaven, wi yer dancin sea!
Daurk the sky, and cauld the wund blaws
throu ma hert, like jaggit ice floes;
but I tak a bit paper, and I scrieve a note,
float it in a bottle, like a bonnie wee boat –
tae the warld a message: tak tent o the young,
mind on oor lives, and this sang we hae sung;
mak the warld a new haven – hear oor caa!
a braw new haven fur ane and aa