Telemachos

The skimmerand ideal? Na, but think

of Telemachos (or Timmy Toodles?)

brocht up amang the rievers in a warld

(thieves

lang til vice and wowfishness given owre,

(wolfishness

nae example there afore him but

the vulturefowk around Penelope,

he himself grew sniesty, ower skaithrife

(arrogant, vulnerable

amplefeystie, unco thrawn in streind,

(moody, perverse nature

sanshuch but unsiccar, the heir of a carle

(proud, unsure

he'd nevir seen, sired by a rumoured fame.

Being with them, their victim and their freend,

He gaed the gait of ane whase heirskip's tined,

(heritage, lost

sare at the vaiger ower wine-mirk seas.

Stiered by mangset ower tholemood's selvage,

(anxiety, patience's border

eidently he riped the niebourlands

(closely searched

for him whase absence wes owre sare to bide-

and fand yon skalrag on his thrashel's warestrand,

(beggar, beach

seeing him as Judas saw his Christ:

no the man til end a tyrannie,

free a kintra frae a pachty fae.

| (proud foe

The prince snirkt at a king in gangrel guise,

(sneered, beggar

and saw, whan the vengeable man stuid furth,

abler nor his son, but no sae skyre,

(utter

savender, but waeker in his sensuals,

(wiser, passions

a man wha'd whured with Circe in her isle,

blindet the Cuclops no by virr but skaigh,

(power, cunning

dree'd his throucome but tined all his men,

(bore, trials

behauden til all for all that he had duin:

nae man to tak amains of Ithaca.

But thon changed in the banket-hall, ye think,

whan the beuch stentet and sang siccar daeth

(bow, bent

til all the spulyers of his haerth and hame?

(spoilers

Ay, in a wey; but braid-up there aside him,

athil Telemachos saw the men

(prince

whase lives were pairt of his life, skirl and dee,

(ery out

and at the sicht he swithert in a dwaum.

(dithered, daze

Ctesippus, yon wenchand wallidrag,

(whoring weakling

skuldudrie's gowk, had daunsed him on his knee;

(whoring's fool

Elatus, yon pavone of farrant time

(peacock, fashion

whatreck had been the first to string his beuch;

(natheless

Melanthius, a hero syled away

(hidden

amang the belly-worshippers, had been

savendle with all his bairnhood derns;

(safe, childhood secrets

yon skiv-queyn lat in his crocus love.

(servant-girl

Standing in a swaet amang the daed,

Kenning he himself unlowsed their weird,

Telemachos stimed in ilk face and ane:

(peered

Wes aiblins he himself amang the slain?