Sconnie Love

Posted bywordsandcoffee1Posted inPoetry, W3 PromptsTags:, , , , , , 
Love is playful
like autumn's trees,
or da stop-and-go-lights,
colorful, ever-changing, 
dancing in a sudden breeze.

Love shimmers
like a squeaky cheese curd 
and evolves like
a Brandy Slush sitting on 
a January porch,
sometimes chilly 
but always warming.

Love is as sweet
as a couple-two-three Kringles with fruit filing, smooth and decadent, savored like a short-lived Sconnie summer.

I wrote this poem for the Wea’ve Written Weekly prompt at the Skeptic’s Kaddish. Lesley is the Poet of the Week, and here is her prompt:

“Robert Burns (aka Robbie Burns) was a Scottish poet (1759-1796) who wrote in the Romantic style. His works focused on themes of love; A Red, Red Rose, on nature; To a Mouse, and the human condition; Tam O’Shanter.

Please write a contemporary poem inspired by Robbie Burns, choosing from his three themes of Love, Nature and the Human Condition. (You may blend the themes—as in The Banks O’Doon, where Burns combines both love and nature).

Also, Burns is best known for his use of the Scots dialect in his works, showcasing his deep connection to Scottish culture and identity… So, please write your poem, including some local dialect, slang, and/or colloquialism from where you live.“

Robbie Burns and me in Scotland in 2009.

As you can see, I had a bit of fun with this one! A “Sconnie” is a person from Wisconsin. Kringles, cheese curds, and Brandy Slushes are all things that can be enjoyed locally, and stop-and-go lights are Sconnie for “stoplights” or “traffic lights”. “A couple-two-three” and “da” instead of “the” are sort of ways to show other colloquialisms and our accent. I think a Wisconsin accent is similar to a Canadian accent with the heavy “O” sound and longer vowels. When I lived in Scotland for six months back in 2009, people initially asked if I was from Ireland, so our accent is apparently also similar to an Irish accent (or maybe I just sound a bit Irish? Or maybe it’s my hair?). Some people also asked if I was Russian (???). Nobody assumed I was American, so apparently Wisconsinites do not sound like Scottish people imagine Americans to sound, which is kind of amusing. The more you ken.

During my time in Scotland, I actually became a bit obsessed with Rabbie Burns, since he is a bit everywhere, being their national poet and all. While there, I read lots of his work, bought a little book of his poetry, once recited it to friends while drinking Magners, and took a picture of myself near at least one statue of him. I even developed a somewhat decent Scottish accent myself (I think it helped that one of my roommates was a fast talker from Edinburgh with the most amazing accent and I would go out on adventures with her around Aberdeen).

However, my initial exposure to Burns’ poetry was when my middle school choir sang a variation of “My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose” put to music, similar to this version but not as lovely (because we were middle schoolers trying to sing in a round and failing miserably):

16 thoughts on “Sconnie Love”

  1. Sarah, your poem is absolutely delightful! The playful imagery you’ve woven together captures the essence of love in such a vibrant way. The references to Wisconsin’s local elements add a charming touch, and your use of colloquialisms and dialect gives the poem a distinct personality. It’s evident that you had a lot of fun with this piece!

    ~David

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  2. Sarah I really enjoyed this one. We love fresh cheese curds and it is always a disappointment when the store says they have them and then they don’t squeak. When we were in WI geocaching we ran into some people in a park playing Kubb. We watched and they explained the rules – I think it would be a lot of fun and I’ve never seen it played anywhere else!

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    1. Thank you! I played Kubb this summer with friends. I like to think there are a lot of fun outdoor games and tasty treats in my neck of the woods, though it is disappointing when those curds don’t squeak. 😁 The freshest ones I’ve gotten from a creamery were just ten minutes old and super squeaky! 😋

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  4. Your poem leaves me hungry for a snack!—dancing in a summer breeze or ever changing like traffic lights (love this evocative description). I want a brandy slush sitting on a chilly porch! I truly enjoyed your poem, Sarah. I love the photo of you with Robbie, too. 😁 The singing in the video you shared is divine. Thank you for this enchanting poem and teaching me the word, Sconnie 🙏🌹

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