Oan Mairches Nicht, at nine a’cloke
Ma heid still reelin wi the Roke
Ma hert still fou o Lithca pride
Tae journey hameward-bound, ah tried.

Though nane too steady in ma gait
Ma knees near bucklin wi the weight
O aw the Yill ah’d supped that day
I, onward, made my merry way.

Since 5am, ah’d done the rounds
Markin Lithca’s ancient bounds
The Burgh, Brig, Blackness – an back
An noo it’s time tae hit the sack.

Ere Three Times Roond the Well wis done
Ah’d met wi auld Macaskill’s son
An ither freens, no seen fur years
Wha aye return fur Mairches cheers.

We clashed, aboot the days, lang syne
When we were wee an Mairches time
Wis spent oan Hoabby horses, birlin
An listenin tae the bagpipes skirlin.

When “brakes” fae Lovell’s an Lochmill
Bore witness tae the Craftsmen’s skill
When Aitken’s, Brookside and the “Stell”
Aw taen their pairt, thrice roond the Well.

When “Pate” led aff the Mairches throng
An “Dally” gied us aw a song
When “Big Mackay” rode wi the Dyers
An Lawrie’s coal lit aw oor fires

When Geordie Baird an Fergie Byrne
In the Proavost’s chair, baith hud their turn
Jock Miller mairched in front the pipes
Wi curly stick an twa wee tykes.

The past rekindled, oan ah sped
Though ah wis fu, ma hert wis gled
Thocht I, “Ah’ll stoap fur jist yin mair!”
An so tae “Sinky’s” did repair.

Ootside the Fitbawers – like a hawker
Ah spied ma drouthie cronie, Walker
Aw weel-prepared fur recitation
O ancient Mairches proaclamation.

Jist like the Crier, days afore
He scanned thae lines fae time o yore
“OYEZ! OYEZ! OYEZ!”, the cry
Weel-kent tae aw that’s standin by

He roared it oot, tae stares fae wummen
“Burgesses, Crafts, Inhabitants summoned”
“A hunner Scots” – the famous warnin
Tae thaim wha’d miss the Mairches moarnin.

Ah bid a while, fur sangs an clatter
Wis fair enthralled wi aw his patter
Then, westwards, ah maun hit the trail
Fur fish an chips tae stap the ale.

At “Gowden Chip”, ah hud repast
An scoffed it doon, though t’were ma last
Wi hunger by, ah soadgered oan
An crossed the street tae the “Unicorn”

There’s Francie – jist come up the stair
Big Davie Roy an cronies mair
Aw sat wi bonnie, winsome burdies
Whase very sicht, fair stirred ma hurdies!!

There’s Ronnie Pudney, wi young June
(A bonnie floor o Lithca toun)
There’s Dave an Ailsa, Paul an Lorna
Aw sittin, snugglin, in the coarner.

In mairched freen Walker, wi his Ann
(Whase charms wid shair tempt oanie man)
Yince mair the sangs rang oot, an then
In Na-Na-Nas – “The Cameron Men”

A word wi barmen Boab an Bill
A pint or twa, a gless, a gill
Though siller’s shoart, nae hert wull brek
The bank aye honours ten pound cheques!

Fae there, along tae the “Masonic”
Whaur boax an flutes were cacaphonic
The Bathgate Boys were still gaun strong
An beltin oot oor Mairches song.

Ah stoapped fur “clash” wi Dot an Peter
“A hauf an hauf – naw, somethin sweeter!”
A funny chorus ‘boot the Terries
An yin o lovers pickin berries.

Ere lang, fur Braeheid ah maun strive
Rememberin – “Ah’ve been up fae five!!”
Ah stoapped at Cab’s fur chips an “Bru”
Quoth Andra then, “Here, Sir, ye’re fou!!”

At last the hoose lichts, dimmed ah see
An Mither’s steak pie welcomes me
Noo tae ma bed ah haste away
Tae dream o next year’s Mairches Day.

Murdoch A.M.Kennedy (1985)