Scots poet Len Pennie and street artist Taio have worked together to reimagine and reinterpret the words of Robert Burns for the 21st century.

The Hurcheon

Wan day as a daunnered through the toon ae mine A dearly lou,
A cam across a spikey cheil, though he wis ainly passin through,
The hurcheon heezed his wee heid up, tear in his peerie ee,
It gared me greet tae hink ae him as bein feart ae me.
Ye didnae mean tae mak me jump, oh beastie blythe an sklinner,
Ye ainly meant tae daunner roon in search ae scran fur dinner,
and noo A’ve goat ye in ma sichts A’d like ye just tae ken,
That beasties hae as much a richt tae bide in toon as men.
We hurkled doon tae hae wursels a cantie blythe wee blether,
The hurcheon spiered tae me aboot some politics an weather,
How atrie days hud left cranreuch an snaw abuin the street,
He went skitin doon the pavement an could hardly find his feet.
He telt me times wur mucke tough because as abdy kens,
Global warmin isnae guid fur spiky beastie friens,
An hurcheons ken this mair than maist as in the streets they bide,
They cannae turn the heatin oan or spend cauld nichts inside.
An so A pledged wae every hing a hae abiun ma soul,
That i wid try tae tak tent ae the hings A can control,
The hurcheon daunered oan his way wae a smile upon his face,
Content that he hud done his pairt tae save the human race.

This piece was produced for Burns Night and is a response to COP26 coming to Glasgow. The piece is written and performed by Len Pennie with artwork by Taio. Filming and editing by Lateral North.