PETER Cameron's sympathetic portrait of a feisty young woman and her older self comes from Lallans 84, the new issue of the "journal o Scots airts an letters" (£9).
Its wide-ranging contents include poetry, prose, and book reviews.
THE COAL ROAD QUEEN
1
The braisantest wumman in N itten -
she'd face up the Deil and gie him "Guide een."
Wi jewels in her lugs and kaims in her hair -
wha wadna flench frae her een?
She mairrit on three, owre muckle for aa -
they called her the Coal Raw Queen.
2
Wha's this auld wife wi the strawberry mou,
in the claes o her body the-day?
Fowr o the nock and a cinnamon bun,
and a lassie gaun round wi the tea.
She's aa verra well, this canny wee sowl,
but wir fechtable limmer, where's she?
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