Yorkshire haiku 12

t' old allotment
diggin early tatties
granddad sweats

© Gerald England

Composed: Gee Cross, 16th March 2006

Publication

2012 Yorkshire Dialect Society Summer Bulletin (UK)

Yorkshire haiku 11

shufflin dahn t' prom
wi a bag o fish an chips -
vinegary kisses

© Gerald England

Composed: Gee Cross, 16th March 2006

Publication

2012 Yorkshire Dialect Society Summer Bulletin (UK)

Yorkshire haiku 8

stuck i' a jam
lass chucks t' roahd atlas
aht a t' sunroof

© Gerald England

Composed: Gee Cross, 16th March 2006

Publication

2012 Yorkshire Dialect Society Summer Bulletin (UK)

Six Yorkshire Haiku

wooid stack'd
ahint t'shed
oe'er-ran wi' bahndweed

wheeir t'muck-stacks were
lush trees nah grow
on t'illside

hot efternooin
sheep on t'fells kip
bi a stoan

river agate —
ducks on t'igh bank
waddle i' a lahne

med blahnd
bi t'low Jan'ry sun
Paris ti Hades

ower t'M1
a breet-een'd kestrel
'ovvers

© Gerald England

Composed: Gee Cross, 10th March 2002

Publications

2002 YDS Summer Bulletin (UK)
2004 Aesthetica (UK)
2008 Ackworth born, gone West (Internet)

Obituary For A Tulip

OBITUARY FOR A TULIP

Ah felt reeight sorry fer him a fust
sleepin theeir
pu'ch'd on t' edge o t' winderbox
Ah hesitaaited oppnin t' winder
fer feear on distu'bin his slumber

He wer theear agin next day
bud he he'd me
an flew off

I' wer then at Ah becum angry
fer on t' top o t' soil ther lay
fowr red petals haaif-etten
an a bare stamen stood atop a green staa'k
wheeir flahr'd a tulip afooire

Six bulbs Ah planted
i t' backend o lest yeeir -
frost tuk twa -
ther's three left nah

Next tahme
i honour o tha' tulip
Ah'll shooit that bloody burd!

© GERALD ENGLAND

Composed: Sheffield, 14th March 1971

Publication

1972 Yorkshire Dialect Society Summer Bulletin (UK)

Reply to Gwen Wade

REPLY TO GWEN WADE

Shoo says her wits are failin
an her rhymin's gerrin warse
Shoo thinks us young uns slaw
ti get agate an pen sum verse

Wah nah a mun admit mesen
Ah've written i t' Standard English tongue
better ner i t' Dialect
an still mah songs are sung

Nay cum off it Gwen tha knows
we arn't browt up jus t' same as thee
We were allus telld ti speyk - proper -
else we'd neer mak t' top o t' tree

Soa we hasta larn ahr speech
thro thee at speyks it nat'ral lahke
Doan't chide us lass Jus gie us t' chance
ter write some proper Tyke

© GERALD ENGLAND

Composed: Ackworth, 1st January 1970

1970 Yorkshire Dialect Society Summer Bulletin (UK)

Fust Moiter-Car

It looked a bit like this but less shiny - from original images of a car sold on Car and Classic.

FUST MOITER-CAR

That fust moiter-car Ah ivver did owhn,
shoo war nivver up ti mich
Ah nivver dare tak her on t' moiterway
fer fear on her brekkin dahn

I' Ah ivver gat her up ti fifty mahles an hooir
shoo used ti shek abaht lahk a jelly nutset
Two on tyres war ommost new and two war pretty gooid
bud t'spare war worn an nut much cop

Shoo hed ti goa ti t' scrapyerd, Ah'm sorry ti hev it say
fer t' fuelpump packed in; t' carburretor went anall;
t' engine war rockin an t'sterter-moiter cracked
an one o' t' windscreen wahpers hed jacked i' in

Mi back-suspenshun war affy rough
an t' gasket-seeals war leeakin oil;
t' plugs war fouled an t' points war pitted
an t' body war ommost rusted reight through

T' brakes war efter relinin an t' clutch gat stuck i' third
Shoo needed complete new wirin an ither sich-like jobs
soa i' t' end shoo simply hed ti goa
that fust moiter-car Ah ivver did owhn

© GERALD ENGLAND

Composed: Pontefract, 5th May 1969

Publication

1990 Yorkshire Dialect Society Transactions (UK)

Revival

REVIVAL

E lad, hasta heeard?
The' say at rock-n-roll is cumin back.
Ah dooan't beleeve 'em mesen,
Wah! It's to gud to be reight!

Ted cum hooam thro t' fact'ry
Ti t'waife an her Yo'ksher pud',
An switch'd on t'wireless;
The' were playin an "Oldie
Frum t'hit-parade o yesteryear",
It were Bill Hailey an his Comets
wi "Rock arahnd the clock".
E an he smahled did Ted
As he thowt ow i days o auhld
He slashed cinema seats a' t'flicks
Wi t'local gang o teddy-boiys.
The' thowt at flahrs wer sloppy
An nobbut fer kids an t'wimmen;
The' wer noan on this hippy stuff i them days!

His waife looked at him an shoo sed,
"Ere, w'at's tha smirkin at?
Get thi dinner dahn thi an hev done!"
Soa Ted ate his dinner an ha' done.

Nay lad, rock-n-roll ain't nivver cumin back,
Wah! It's to gud to be reight!

GERALD ENGLAND

Composed: Pontefract, 20th March 1968

Publications

1968 Yorkshire Dialect Society Summer Bulletin (UK)
1970 MOUSINGS (Sheffield, Headland)