Freezing,wet and hungry,
In need of food and rest,
The MacDonalds took them in,
And made them all a guest,
The weather here was always harsh,
A storm could last a week,
But the snow had started falling,
Things were really looking bleak,
They fed their guests with all they had,
And kept the fires burning,
They could stay as long as need be,
The weather wasn't turning,
They sat and told old stories,
And shared their Heather Ale,
Played their Highland Bagpipes,
As they sheltered from the gale,
On the twelfth night as they slept in bed,
Thinking all was good and well,
The guests had started killing all,
A night of living hell,
A few escaped out to the hills,
They fled in the cold of the night,
But with conditions a total whiteout,
Survival was a fight,
By daylight back at the village,
The MacDonalds all lay dead,
The ground around their homesteads,
Sticky pools of red,
The Massacre of Glencoe,
Dated Feb 13th,1692,
Where the Campbells showed their colours,
To the likes of me and you,
It's said today when you're in the Glen,
Or simply passing through,
You can hear the screams of the MacDonalds,
Their spirits live with you,
And even to this very day,
There's a sign above the Inn,
'No Campbells Welcome Here',
Or anywhere within.....
Author notes
All Comments Welcome Option 6
Written June 21st, 2006
A contest entry
- Give me your best for 2000 points by Hadji Murad.
1887 points, ended December 7, 2006, 97 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Make Me Cold by Sun Shower.
370 points, ended December 26, 2006, 17 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - I want your best piece. by EnigmasPhilosophy.
950 points, ended March 13, 2007, 54 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Give Me Your Personal Best (Prewrites Allowed) by aGent Lemon.
360 points, ended March 18, 2007, 44 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Epics (Multiple Round Contest) *New Edit* by Ontarah.
600 points, ended May 20, 2007, 30 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Calling All Rhyming Story Tellers! by Sgt B.
525 points, ended May 28, 2007, 26 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Stories. by warrior-eagle.
450 points, ended January 28, 2008, 34 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Story Poems by Zixaphir.
700 points, ended March 4, 2008, 25 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
What did you think
Comments
1 - 47 of 47
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a very interesting story...I love history, and found this to be very entertaining. You told the story well, the rhymes were easy and the rhythm was smooth. Very well done.
Rory
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Have to say i really enoyed this, i am irish and a celt so you being Scotish makes you one also. I like these type of historic poems and Ballads. thanx for the lesson.
Slán la grá
Dolores x
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I enjoyed this read
But then I love the history channel.
Great story, really nice flow, & Rhyme was on time.
Great job, Thanx for the entry, & good luck in the contest. -
well, it overall has a very nice flow and tight rhymes. The story is also a good one relayed with nice beat and description. The only thing I might like to see a bit more of is the actual description of the massacre. The actual massacre only takes two stanzas where the introduction takes about four. Just a thought.
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Thank you very much for entering this contest. I may add much more of a comment later on since there are so many other submissions.
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Hmm...
I like this. It was a great write. Good Luck
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epic tale! very much enjoyed! *kat
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tremendous stuff. this was certainly full of imagary. I loved it. good luck in the contest
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Excellent stuff, i had no idea bout the history of these clans! Well told, with good rythm and rhyme. sj
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i love this poem kenny, great imagery, it's just what i asked for.very well done.
thank you very much for entering my contest,
alex -
AWESOME WRITE. I really think it is great. Good luck in my contest!!!!!
Luke -
Unfortunately I can't include you in the contest as I'm only judging the first 20 entries
What a fantastic piece, really makes me wish they taught history this way. I am currently living in scotland and though I did not know this story, I want to thank you for telling me it in such a fantastic way. everything about this poem was amazing from start to end. It sent chills up my spine really. the flow the ryhme, rythm all superb, one for my favourites. thanks soo very much for sharing. -
Nahsti.
What about Campbell's soup? OHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!
Nice story. Doesn't have the big "meaning" that reaches out and grabs me but well-written, good construction. Good diction, scene painting, all that.
Porps. -
This was really scary, you really had a way of keeping the readers attention from start to finish. The flow was great and the rhyming was great too.
Thanks so much for your kind words on my poem, they mean alot to me. I totatally agree with you. ALl the best QueenT -
yay!
This is a really great piece. A captivating read to the end. Great job at grabbing the reader's attention. The story line is awesome. Excellent job please keep up the good work! -
Excellent poem, good historical content. great imagery well done...Jeff
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This was an interesting poem that made me think and delve deeper into that dark piece of Scottish history. You have taken some artistic license with the facts, but that is okay as far as the poem is concerned. I'm not a big fan of rhyme, but you did a really good job with it here and for that I must applaud you...well that and the rest of the poem deserves it!
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so is this poem based on a true event, or did you just make it up yourself? Im really curious to know now because its all so interesting and extremely an attetion eye catcher as well
kick ass poem -
Educational as well as entertaining. Good rhythm and rhyme in the poem, as well as it was easy to read and understand.
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I really liked this poem - made me smile!! Great descriptions throughout!!! Great rhyming and flow throughout!!! Thanks for sharing!! Sarah Louise Hudson
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Wonderful, it gave me the chillis reading it. I love history and you did such a good job writing about it. What a twist it was at the middle to end. Strong, powerful and very haunting to the soul.
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excellent
Well expressed poem Liked the content and the flow.. As a boy in Glasgow Scotland .The children sang ."The Cambells are coming I know by their smell" The dirty wee b,,,, are kicking up hell. Strange that the feelings go on, after all these years.
Good poem .Thank you for sharing it. -
Gratzi
Lots of talent here. Very well written -
This was indeed a black day in Scottish history. A betrayal of kin and of the rule of breaking bread and taking salt. A black mark for the Clan Campbell. But then the Campbell's are lowland Scots, so what do you expect!!
Great poem. Well written about a true event. -
thankyou so much my friend,there have been many things happened here in Scotland over the years,lol,i just wonder what to write about next.Thank you so much for your lovely comments,i always like to get your feedback on what i write my friend.Kenny
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Thanks for sharing what was to me an unknown piece of history. You inpired me to check out more on the subject. Bravo!
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Excellently presented
A wonderful poem that oozes the feeling and emotion of hate and deception. I was not aware your forebears were so bloody deceptive and fought like that, but family and tribal fueds have been going on since Adam. It was a great painting you did with simple words and portrayed the event so graphically. I am getting the feeling that the highlands have run with a lot of blood over the years.Great work mate and keep up the history lessons too. I really enjoyed thsi and was rapt all the way. -
Brilliant write
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It's good to see poetry written about our history and some-one really appreciating it. Your use of rhyme was relly really good. This was a well written piece
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Brilliant piece of writing with hisorical content,the thing was back then that all the clans fought amongst themselves instead of uniting against the real tyrants all the united clans which wasn't many had already turned down the promise of land and money from the invaders.Scotland's biggest import even to this day was people,but I bet you coulda told this to me.Thanks for your inspiring piece which is about the truest poem I've read for a long time very good indeed.Shug
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Brilliant piece of writing with hisorical content,the thing was back then that all the clans fought amongst themselves instead of uniting against the real tyrants all the united clans which wasn't many had already turned down the promise of land and money from the invaders.Scotland's biggest import even to this day was people,but I bet you coulda told this to me.Thanks for your inspiring piece which is about the truest poem I've read for a long time very good indeed.Shug
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Brilliant piece of writing with hisorical content,the thing was back then that all the clans fought amongst themselves instead of uniting against the real tyrants all the united clans which wasn't many had already turned down the promise of land and money from the invaders.Scotland's biggest import even to this day was people,but I bet you coulda told this to me.Thanks for your inspiring piece which is about the truest poem I've read for a long time very good indeed.Shug
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Brilliantly written
Gee whiz Kenny, that was a mean thing for the Campbells to do, that was pretty gruesome, what a way to repay their hospitality, my daughter and I have Scottish friends by that name, but they are pussy cats compared to these.
You have written the tale brilliantly my friend and I did enjoy reading it, as I do all your work, you and Bazza are both great at tales like this. Thank you for the wonderful read.
Regards Joan
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A wonderful history lesson here.You are a very talented writter.I really liked this poem.For old history I knew nothing about, this is an amazing write.Great write.
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amazing imagery you used here...a very creative and freaky poem...very different to read, but not in a bad way, in a good way...you have a lot of talent here...great job and happy penning
[Elizabeth♥] -
Excellent
Really Kenny, This has got to one of your best writes yet. Being Scottish what a fantastic reconstruction of Scottish History of the Massacre of Glencoe in 1692. A lovely write for non "nationals" to find out more about Scotland and its history . left me singing the Traditional Scottish song the Ballard of Glencoe. Awesome!!!! Di xx
Edited on Jun 22, 12:16 because 'typing error'. -
I started thinking this was to do with food and Macy D's too but spose thats either brilliant planing on ure part or jus a coincidence LOL.
Ime intrested to know if this is fact or fiction tho??
Overall flows quiet well and reads great, pleasure to read, keep up the good work :-D -
There is such a place in the Highlands?
Stanzas six and eight didn't flow well, in my opinion. -
sheesh!what a superb poem!absolutely spellbinding my friend,i actually thought when you were going on about hunger and mcdonalds,i thought it was going to be a humerous poem,how wrong can you be!heehee,
very well done my friend,
your friend alex. -
Yes, indeed and the MacDonalds have been getting their revenge ever since by serving up repulsive ovecooked greasy food to ne and all. Even using Campbells reconstituted soup.
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Very pretty, I really like the word choice and how during the really descriptive part of this piece you used so many unique words! Fantastic piece!
Keep up the good work,This one flows like a stream of light across the human heart, very colorful. Each line must be paused and carefully examined so as not to overlook the visualization that you are painting. The whole piece drips with emotion, warmth, and light. A canvas brilliantly painted. Excellent rhythm and flow and the emotion is real and tangible. Vivid, abstract and yet everything comes together. I truly feel the depth from this. So much truth. I loved every line of this piece as its' very touching and just full of positive thoughts and energy. -
you paint a very detailed and grim picture here. increadible imagery
ang -
well my friend a nother brilliant piece.very well written, great imagery and your words spin webs of magic to the life of this piece.very vivid details makes it very real indeed. you must have been a history buff in school, that just means ,you loved history, awsome kenny
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Wonderful write.......I love poems about history and you bring the story to such life.
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What an interesting historical write this is. I loved it. It was informative as well as poetic. History to me is fascinating. I'm glad I took a peek.
Regards,
Leo Long -
Brilliant
Oh my goodness this was frightening! Great writing, hooked me from the beginning. This is so amazing Kenny. You are so brilliant with words! Great job on this. Now I really could have made great grades in History had you been the teacher, man you bring it yo life before my eyes. Thank you for sharing. Jeannie D Hunter
Edited on Jun 21, 5:49 because ''. -
a classic write
from the start i was hooked.....had a feeling of riding along on a horse flying down the mountain side 'the man from snowy river' dont ask why...Your imagery just flowed and i must admit i really love work like this the plot ohhh - nick cave - works for me everytime....bookmarking... you take the reader along on a journey holding the imagination with every line descriptive then some. a pleasure for me to read enjoyed it just one brilliantly penned write. yeah i want more more i say....
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