Independence.

Posted by smgrady on October 27, 2012 · 2 Comments 

As Scotland debates its independence, everyone and their mother is chiming in.  A staggering array of eloquence, passion, and style whirl in amongst predictable bouts of petty, political jostling and stereotyping.

I continue to debate my place here, too, though for unrelated related reasons. These Edinburgh days are numbered, and nostalgia and excitement vie for top billing in my denouement.

These are interesting, perplexing, powerful times.

And I find that once again Jamie Jauncey has some stirring words for the moment.

Love-hate

What I love about Scotland is its solemn hills
What I hate about Scotland is the mist that shrouds them
What I love about Scotland its empty moors
What I hate about Scotland is the rain that scours them
What I love about Scotland is the humour of its language
What I hate about Scotland is the sharpness of its tongue
What I love about Scotland is the softness of its voices
What I hate about Scotland is the harshness of its voices
What I love about Scotland is the backbeat of its music
What I hate about Scotland is its sentimental songs
What I love about Scotland is its stern, granite faces
What I hate about Scotland is its stern, granite hearts
What I love about Scotland is ‘You’ll take a dram’
What I hate about Scotland is ‘You’ll have had your tea’
What I love about Scotland is the amber fire of whisky
What I hate about Scotland is the sugar rush of Irn Bru
What I love about Scotland is the roaring of its stags
What I hate about Scotland is the roaring of its drunks
What I love about Scotland is the grandeur of its cities
What I hate about Scotland is its mean little towns
What I love about Scotland is the splendour of its castles
What I hate about Scotland is the blood that built them
What I love about Scotland is the thickness of its walls
What I hate about Scotland is the smallness of its windows
What I love about Scotland is the past is everywhere
What I hate about Scotland is the past is everywhere
What I love about Scotland is its flair and pride
What I hate about Scotland is its misery and envy
What I love about Scotland is its dogged emigrés
What I hate about Scotland is the manner of their leaving
What I love about Scotland is its openness and tolerance
What I hate about Scotland is its chanting on the terraces
What I love about Scotland is the love of being Scots
What I hate about Scotland is the hatred for the English
What I love about Scotland is its pomp and ceremony
What I hate about Scotland is its tawdry tartan tourism
What I love about Scotland is Holy Willie’s Prayer
What I hate about Scotland is that Willie’s still here
What I love about Scotland is its hands across the water
What I hate about Scotland is its feet in the kailyard
What I love about Scotland is it could be great again
What I hate about Scotland is those who don’t believe it
What I love about Scotland is it’s our boy who wrote:
‘For a’ that, an’ a’ that,
It’s coming yet for a’ that
That Man to Man, the world o’er
Shall brothers be for a’ that.’