Calaveras MacLeods 2007

 

ne da in Calaveras Shire,

   Whilst I supped from my tureen –

I didst mi spie across the fire,

A bonnie lass, Maureen.

 

From Clan MacLeod she came that day,

Seeking her cousin Katie –

Aye an’ into ta’ the Wicked Eye,

Into tha’ Chieftain’s eye -

She did dance indeed most gaily!

 

Chieftain, say it out loud,

             It’s double MacLeods –

Not only mi good Mistress Katie,

She now has a cousin –

Let’s hope not a dozen,

Indeed she be almost a Lady.

 

Philip Alisdair

 

 

 

So Long Have I Wandered

 

So long have I wondered the Highlands alone,
   In search of my kin and place to call home.

'Til one day to the Shire of Truckee I came,
I there met a Highlander, Heber be his name.

To a Tavern he led me,’twas not far away,
Where the Highlanders gathered to rest and to play.

A new man approached, Phillip Alexander says he.
What be your name Lass, he questioned of me.

My name be Maureen of the Clan of MacLeod,
I said to him strongly, surely and proud.

By the hand he took me, saying come with me Lass,
You have found your long lost Kin at last.

For me goodly wife Katie, she too be MacLeod,
And like you Lass, she be strong and proud.

To Heber I'm grateful for taking me in,
To the Wicked Ale Tavern and the Highlanders within.

For long have I traveled and long have I roamed,
To find my Clan and a place to call home.

My heart and my soul are full to brim,
With the Highlander's love I carry within.

Grammercy to you all.

 

Maureen MacLeod

 

 

 

Calaveras Hei’lunders 2007

 

n the hei’ lunds we gathered,

          One fyne springtime eve –

Beast was well roasted,

From the cattle we reeve.

 

Along came Lord Heber,

And Cookie his wyfe –

To join with Lord B-bear,

And Gwen of his fife.

 

Akira was there,

And Bradon as well –

With mead in the air,

All decided to dwell!

 

And then came faire Morna,

And good Master Bill –

With Elena and Connor,

From over the hill.

 

From the far northern isles,

The good Clan MacLeod -

Two wenches with smiles,

Witty, ruthless, and proud.

 

Tequila of  Mango was much in demand,

Cookie passed it on gladly –

It went hand–to–hand.

No one looked sadly –

We could all hardly stand!

 

To the Chieftain was offered,

Akira’s fyne chest –

Then the “black box” pro-offered,

Aye, let’s give it a rest!!!

 

Philip Alisdair

 

 

 

Sir James, Calaveras 2007

 

ame a man to Calaveras Shire,

James Hepburn wast his name –

A man of spirits and soul of fire,

The Earl was a man of fame.

 

Before the Queen,

He didst so kneel –

He was indeed most keen,

He did indeed most pant and reel,

Most knightly didst he seem….

 

With full high honors we great him now,

Sir James he is at last –

Lord Bothwell he is in sun and snow,

Now will he sit repast…?

 

Philip Alisdair

 

 

 

Livermore Shire
The Year of our Lord, 2007


Her Majesty's progress arrived in May
at the Livermore Shire on a warm windy day.
Clans had gathered from lands far and near,
Campbell, Gordon, they all were here.

From militia with cannons, rifles and drums
to Wizards with lizards and pirates with rum,
The nobles paraded and the pipes they did sound,
Give a hardy Goghair for the games were in town.

The tavern was bustling as always
with the folk of the shire that day,
Cookie and the Wizard passed out on the table
and Master Phillip damn near flew away.

Our men fought well on the battlefield,
only a few of them lost their life.
Morna and Katie wailed over one man
for one was his lover and one was his wife.

Lady Jillian was relieved of her bloomers,
how that happened she doth not recall.
Upon sharing her dilemma in court that day
off her chair Lady Seton did fall.

The Hei’lunders gathered together one night
to eat and to drink and to sing.
We all ate the salmon of knowledge,
and yet no one remembered a thing.

As the games were done and the battles won
our time had come to move on,
so we gathered together as we always do
for one more ale and one more song.

Davina was honored with the Hammer of Thor,
Maureen proudly hangs a wolf on her door.
With hugs and kisses we said fare thee well,
what adventures lie ahead only time will tell.

Hip hip Goghair,
Hip hip Goghair;
May God save St. Andrews
and the Livermore Faire.

 

Maureen MacLeod

 

 

 

Willets Hei’lunders 2007

 

e didst travel long,

  Indeed an’ most far,

One da ta Willets Shire –

Nae o’er tha mar.

 

Tha Chieftain ‘twas there,

An’ Cookie as well,

                All came ta tha faire –

An’ there choose  ta dwell.

 

Mares an’ her Papa,

He spoils ‘er most grandly,

                He gives ‘er ‘is all –

She grabs ‘is hand, gladly!

 

Our new shinty chieftess,

She makes ‘er own moves,

                Much younger than we –

An into ‘er groove.

 

Sa’ra an’ Morna,

Elena as well,

                They ha’ Katie’s back –

Watch out fer tha till….

 

Katie takes them all on,

Even Damn Raven,

                We love them both madly –

So who is tha maven?

 

Aye, we chase out tha guard,

An’ treat them most sadly,

                Yet had supper wit’ them –

An’ welcomed them gladly.

 

In battle I’ll stand,

Wit’ Chieftain an’ Cullen,

                Defendin’ tha land –

Tha good Lord most willin’.

 

Then we went far a field,

Tha Bog Mouse an’ I,

                Ta tha tavern we went –

Ta drink, nae ta spy. 

 

One cider ‘e had,

An’ lost all ‘is lands,

                A Bog Mouse ‘e is –

Tha best o’ ‘is clan.

 

Once more ‘board a ship,

Wit’ Maitiu’ as well,

                Ta travel strange lands –

An’ there nae ta dwell….

 

‘Twas sworn I wouldst nae do this,

Yet still here I be,

`              Sailin’ wit’ Maitiu’ –

Be sumthin’ ta sea….

 

Philip Alisdair

 

 

 

Pittsburg Prelude

 

 

e travel ta Pittsburg,

    from tha Isles an’ tha land,

We stand all ta gether,

an’ come ‘and ‘n ‘and.

 

‘Twilst be a gran’ faire,

an’ maybe a fright,

So many all ta gether,

an’ on in ta tha night….

 

Weddins an’ birthdays,

Matt’s weddin’ day too,

Where wouldst we all be,

without our Maitiu’?

 

An’ Cookie an’ Chieftain,

                come in ta tha strife –

“E watches us always,

                an’ carries a big knife….

 

Akira an’ Bradon,

Elena an’ Connor –

Come, sups almost done,

                We’ll eat wit’ much honor.

 

Maureen an’ dear Katie,

                Dost stir up tha land –

Along wit’ Lord Argyle,

                Wit’ Jean at ‘is ‘and. 

 

Faolan may join us,

                Though some call him donkey –

He’ll arrive whenst ‘e can,

                An’ mayhaps by portkey.

 

An’ Bothwell dost wander,

                downst by tha border –

“E thinks things in ‘and,

                yet they be most out o’ order….

 

Aye, an’ what dost we say,

                of good Lordly Cullen –

At tymes ‘e’s most ‘appy,

                at others, almost sullen….

 

Our Gwen o’ tha Light,

                She shines all aroun’ us –

Watchin’ our children,

                an’ sparin’ them fright. 

 

So come, travel wit’ mi ,

                it ‘twill be most grand –

As we travel ta gether,

                an stroll ‘and ‘n ‘and!

 

Philip Alisdair

 

 

 

Illumination

For Teage and Cailin

In simple peaceful reverence,
before God they came that day.
Their binding time now over,
all doubts now washed away.

The shire folk hath gathered,
friends of old and friends of new.
Shaded by the mighty oaks
beneath a sky of brilliant blue.

They stood, their eyes embracing,
their magic filled the air.
Her Knight in shining armour,
His maiden, so lovely, so fair.

All listened to the simple vows,
timeless words we hold so dear.
Spoken by lovers who promise their hearts
to each other for all of their years.

Husbands and wives of years long past
moved close and joined their hands.
Their minds returned to the day of their vows
and how strong their love still stands.

With hands adorned with bands of gold
husband and wife they were proclaimed,
they joined the folk of the shire
each bearing the other's name.

Glasses were filled and hands were raised,
A toast M' Lord, they cried!
They handed him a cup of cheer
as he turned to face his bride.

Slowly he moved before her
and gently took her hand,
A hush befell those gathered
as he knelt upon the land.

To her he pledged his honor
and his love for all to hear,
Her safety and her happiness,
these things he held most dear.

Illumination filled the hearts
of all who shared this day,
For love, true love, is gift from God
and can never be taken away.

I wish you both all the best... always.
Maureen.

 

 

 

Winter’s Feast 2007

 

 

We came from tha shires,

                From hei’lunds, an’ shores –

We’d seen many spires,

                Opened doors, toasted smores….

 

We gathered ta play,

                An’ some ta be serious –

Together thi’ da’,

                Indeed, most mysterious….

 

They all gathered aroun’,

                An’ wanted ta join in –

Glad tidings aboun’

                Let tha party begin.

 

How many be we,

                I’ve run out o’ toes –

I can nae count tha hi’,

                In all o’ these clothes (indeed, need all mi toes).

 

Hei’lunders all,

                ‘Twas heard round tha hall –

Heard indeed wall ta wall,

                This fyne da in tha fall.

 

An’ we talked o’ black boxes,

                An marveled a’ chests –

Yet tha wynd tore our sockses,

                An yanked a’ our vests.

 

Tha faires they were plenty,

                As we went here ta ther’ –

Many score, an’ then twenty,

                An’ sailed o’er tha mar.