'The Wee Mae Calhoun'

by Northcode

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It’s been half a century and more since I last set eyes on the wee Mae Calhoun.

Perhaps it was standing at the edge of infinity the other day, my bare feet squidgin’ the wet sand and the warm breeze clearing a misted-ower memory that made me glance behind me tae glimpse her giein me a distant wave fae the lang syne.

Whatever the reason, wee Mae popped intae ma heid and I was inspired to scribble doun a poem tae the memory o’ Mae...

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The Wee Mae Calhoun

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The wee Mae Calhoun wis ma firstin luve

Wi met whin juist fourteen

Stood at five fit tall

Lang hair coal black

Bricht stars fir eyes sea green

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She sa me best a knuckle ficht

On a soakit schuil playgrund

a clout tae me

a blaw tae him

Me staunin an him doun

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She sent her freend, Selina

Wi a message clear an loud

“She fancies ye“

“Dae ye fancy her?“

“If so, she’ll make ye proud...she says“

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The pairk at noon by the bandstaun gate

Oor first o mony rendezvous

Nae brass band wis playin, nae trumpets or trombones

But a kiss fae Mae set ma hert on fire

An cawsed a stirrin in ma trews

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Twa weeks an fourteen days went past

Twa dozen bandstaun secret trysts

A hunner fond an sweet embraces

A thoosand young folk ‘I love’ yous

Ma lips hurt fae bein kissed

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Young luve is such a fickle thing

It changes wi the blaw

Wee Mae, she haed anither thocht

Her hert tae big fir juist wan lad

Sae she winched anither yin anaw

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An sae next day in the schuil playgrund

Selina saunters ower ma way, her face aw reed

“Yer dumped, Mae’s foun anither luve“

“Yer grand she says, but she’s haed enough“

“Dae ye want tae go wi me insteed?“

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“Aye, awricht.“ sayd I. “Bandstaun gate at noon the morra?“

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Northcode, August 2024.

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The bandstand is long gone and not a trace of it is left to be seen. But now and again I pass that place where it used to stand and fondly recall my first love.

If yer still oot ther in the wirld, Mae, an ye happen tae come across ma wee poem, a hope yer life has been a grand yin; an that ye’ve loved an been loved; an that yer bright sea-green eyes are still sparklin’.

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