Poems
Gap Year
The poem describes Jackie Kay and her son Matthew's bond. [7] Her son leaves her to travel and be more independent. [8]
Keeping Orchids
The poem describes Jackie Kay's first meeting with her birth mother. [9] The orchids symbolise the difficulty of their relationship. [10]
Lucozade
The poem describes a daughter visiting her mother in hospital. [11] The daughter brings her mother gifts such as Lucozade, which was commonly given to sick people. [12] Her mother refuses to take the gifts. The poem ends with the daughter removing the symbols of illness and in turn lifting the burden of illness. [13]
My Grandmother's Houses
The poem describes different houses that the narrator associates with her grandmother. [14] It gives insight into the narrator's childhood and her grandmother's personality. [15]
Old Tongue
The poem describes the experience of losing your native tongue. [16] The narrator wanders if they will ever say the words they used to say again. [17] The poem includes Scottish words and phrases such as “eedyit”, “dreich” and “shut yer geggie”. [18]
Whilst Leila Sleeps
The poem describes a mother and daughter who are fleeing from “men in plain suits”. [19] It can be inferred that they are immigrants facing deportation. [20]
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