A Dairk July Mournin

(I'm not sure that I should be posting this at all.)

This is something of a sequel to A Bricht February Mournin, and is about my cousin Adrian. He was 2 years older than me and I grew up in his hand-me-downs. When we were wee his nickname was "Drain Drain". He died in July 2003 and I wrote this shortly after.

It's never been published, and has only been shared with a few people. Comparisons have been made with James Fenton's Minin Bab, but the similarity was unconscious on my part, and I would never claim to be anywhere near James' league.

I'm not going to say much about this, and given the circumstances it's better that way. Even though many of the references in this are too personal to be fully understood by people outside of our family, I'm sure you can work out what happened.

.........................

A cairryt
Her wae him. Doon tha brae
Past tha fiels whaur we kepped tha beese.

A cairryt
Him forbye. Alang tha shore
An pit him nearhaun her.

Tae leeve an dee
Siccan a road as thon
Must be dairk.

Whit for?
A'll niver fin oot
Yin big happy cratur... wae the worl' on his shouthers

Whit happent?
Hunners o tales noo.
Likely nane o them richt.

A wheen o nichts aforehaun
A taaked tae him for oors
Staunin an lauchin ootside - gettin caul.

13t o July. Black Day.
A pit my haun on his broo.
Caul. Nae lauchin.

A jist wush
A cud hae stapped him.
Listen't tae him.

A jist wush
He cud hae taaked tae yin o us
An no daen it ava

But we're aye that busy.
Nae time fer yin anither
Nae time.

Nae shoartbreid noo
Nae tay
Nae Drain Drain
Nae mair

A'll see him
Whaur he's wae her noo
Nae worl' on his shouthers ony mair
So there isnae