My name is Carla Woodburn, I hope you enjoy my first feature as the new editor of the Scots Poetry section of The Scots Language Centre website.

I am fair chuft tae be working here. I'm taking this opportunity as its my first feature, to introduce myself and share one of my own poems with you, before we start showcasing other wonderful Scots poets work.  I will be featuring a new Scots poet each month with links to their website and publications.

I am involved a great deal with poetry, currently working with Tell It Slant Poetry Bookshop running Express Yourself monthly poetry events and a weekly Express Yourself poetry radio show on Sunny G Radio. Poetry is fun, an a git a fair muckle a pleasure fae it.

You are aw mair than welcome tae email me oan poetry@scotslanguage.com . A hae a fun website  www.misswoodburn.com. 
 

My poem is a short piece about myself and where I am from originally, Tain in The Highlands. I now live in bonnie Clydebank. I hope you enjoy it.  
 

A Heilan Lassie  
 

Am a Heilan lass, 

Born a bred, 

Just like the coo,  

A Heilan bairn of the toon of Tain.  

A tattie lover and planter,  

Fae the fields.  

My ma n da they taucht me weel, 

Thaimsel fae Glesga dwellings.  

They didnae Ken their daughter widnae blether wae the same Glesga tunin.  

I wis born a Heilan lass,  

Played the bagpipes in class.  

Jumped the hay bails and dry grass.  

Kin talk like a teuchter if asked.  

Albeit a bit mare Glesga as time passed.  

A moved tae the city in my later teens,  

Fir City life I wis keen,  

The brecht lights and aw the dancin,  

Fancied my chancin so's a did,  

Took masel a gallivantin.  

But through aw my years,  

Only wan sincere,  

Wis my poetry which av ayeweys held dear.  

In aw tongues in which we speak,  

Gaelic, Doric, Scots, slang fae the street,  

whaur awa ye be,  

Let yer tongue gang free,  

An lang live Scots langage an poetry.