Indian Market

Indian Market: On Hearing a Rock-Musician's Song for His Julia

I too have written poems for young girls
With honeysuckle mouths, and I have seen
Wilted petals drop from their drooping curls.

I’ve mourned them (pale and smooth as birchwood burls),
Who thrilled my touch with breasts stiff as baleen:
I too have written poems for young girls.

I’ve wound their stranded hair in silky whorls
And marveled at its slender, threaded sheen:
But wilted flowers have dropped from drooping curls.

Nascent desires have burned in scented swirls,
Throbbing mysteries I could scarcely glean --
And yes, I’ve written poems for young girls.

I’ve heard the cries of swift, red winged merles,
And, as Fall breathed fire into Summer’s green,
Wilted flowers would drop from dry, drooping curls.

Beauty, blighted, wails in mournful skirls,
And, in the milling jaws of time, grows lean.
And though I’ve written poems for young girls,
Wilted petals drop from their drooping curls.

----------------------

This is an old poem that has evoked some harsh and ignorant judgment. Since first writing I have made some minor revisions, but not to any words or images which a previous reader had deemed obscene and therefore objectionable. I think the updates make the poem flow better, but I don't know whether it is finished. The dilemma of sound posed by this poem seems close to resolution, but the initial conundrum is perhaps an argument for more careful selection of rhymes at the outset.

One reader objected to kissing young girls, with the suggestion of pedophilia in the poem. Alas, in his view I metamorphosed from tadpole to frog, but my development was so arrested that I never emerged as Prince Charming and was damned to a life of sins crying out for vengeance. The life of an interspecies osculating frog has been truly difficult.

breasts stiff as baleen: to clarify the use of baleen to describe youthful breasts, I include the following excerpt from Wikipedia on baleen:
Whale baleen is the mostly mineralized keratin-based bio-material consisting of parallel plates suspended down the mouth of the whale. Baleen's mechanical properties of being strong and flexible made it a popular material for numerous applications requiring such a property.

skirls: this word persists both as a Scots word of considerable antiquity and as a crossover into standard English. Below is a citation from 1700 on. In the villanelle I had in mind the wailing of the pipes and the women's screams of lamentation. For the history of the word prior to 1700 please consult that online data base. As an illustration of the word's flight from obsolescence, one might look at the entries in the collegiate and the large Merriam Webster.

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First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

SKIRL, v., n. Also skirle and met. form †skrille.[skɪrl]

I. v. tr. and intr. To emit a shrill, piercing sound, to scream, shriek. Gen.Sc.

1. In gen. To utter with a high-pitched discordant sound, to cry or sing shrilly, to raise a clamour. Gen.Sc. Derivs. skirler, a screecher, discordant singer; skirlie, skirly, shrill. Combs. skirlie-weeack, n., a shrill cry, a little person with a shrill voice, and as a v., to cry with a shrill voice (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 158). See Weeack; skirly-wheeter, the oyster-catcher, Haematopus ostralegus (Abd. 1933 Abd. Press and Jnl. (20 June); Bnff., Abd. 1951), also an ill-thriving, unhealthy-looking animal, a youth, youngster (Ork. 1929 Marw., skirly-wheeter, skelly-, Ork. 1970), phs. from the notion of puling or whining (see Wheet, and 2. below). But the Ork. forms may really represent a different word. O.Sc. scurliquitour, a term of abuse, a.1585, may be associated with this.Edb. 1773 Fergusson Poems (S.T.S.) II. 165:
[They] skirl out baul', in Norland speech, “Gueed speldings, fa will buy.”Ayr. 1786 Burns Ordination iii.:
O' double verse come gie us four An' skirl up the “Bangour”.Rnf. 1840 J. Mitchell Wee Steeple's Ghaist 118:
Sae I sat down, till through the town The watchmen “twa” were skirling.Rxb. 1847 J. Halliday Rustic Bard 319:
The skirler's pitchfork unholily tings.Wgt. 1880 G. Fraser Lowland Lore 163:
Somethin' near me said or skirl'd!Slk. 1892 W. M. Adamson Betty Blether 58:
As skirly as the whistle o' a railway engine.m.Lth. 1894 P. H. Hunter J. Inwick 131:
A' his notion o' preachin, was juist to dad the buik an' skirl his text ower an' ower again.Ayr. 1901 G. Douglas Green Shutters v.:
Out came his mither like a fury, skirling about her hoose, and her servants, and her weans.Lnk. 1904 I. F. Darling Songs from Silence 114:
Thae trashy foreign sangs ye're skirlin'.Sh. 1930 Shetland Almanac 196:
“Doon wi' dee dis moment!” she skirled.Abd. 1931 Abd. Press and Jnl. (11 Feb.):
Aboot Braid Scots o' fader's day I hear a skirlie-weeack.Bnff. 1933 M. Symon Deveron Days 37:
The paper geat comes skirlin': “The Gordons in a Fecht.”Cai. 1992 James Miller A Fine White Stoor 13:
' ... Your great grandad had a whisker and he used to grab us bairns and rub his face against us. Oh we used to skirl. ... 'Abd. 1996 Sheena Blackhall Wittgenstein's Web 7:
Davie Donald wis fair dumfounert. His een glowered that hard at the wee boolie, they near drappit ooto his heid.
"Ye spakk!" skirled he, clean bumbazed.

2. To scream, cry out with fear, pain or grief. Gen.Sc.Sc. 1715 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) I. 68:
Fouk wad threep, that she did green For what wad gar her skirle And skreigh some Day.Abd. 1748 R. Forbes Ajax 10:
Syne, Paean's son, thou'd not been left On Lemnos' isle to skirle.Sc. 1818 Scott H. Midlothian xxx.:
But then came in the story of my poor bairn, and my mother thought he wad be deaved wi' its skirling.Slk. 1828 Hogg Shep. Cal. (1874) viii.:
Skirling as if something were cutting its throat.Abd. 1836 J. Grant Tales 67:
There was a skirlin' aroun' as o' wulcats, and fumarts fechtin'.Edb. 1866 J. Smith Merty Bridal 5:
Mawsey an' her fourteen weans, Whase skirlin' never ceast.Ags. 1889 Barrie W. in Thrums xi.:
The women-folk fair skirled wi' fear.Sc. 1896 Stevenson W. Hermiston i.:
A skirling Jezebel like you.Abd.13 1923:
A lot o' skirlin for little woo' (Too much speech for all the action).Ayr. 1927 J. Carruthers A Man Beset I. ii.:
Lounder him till he skirls for mercy.

Adj. skirly, addicted to screaming or yelling, puling, in comb. skirly-nackit, a small child. See Nacket, n.1, 2.Sc. 1935 D. Rorie Lum Hat 67:
The wee trachelt cratur's peelin' tatties by the fire Wi' her skirly-nackits fechtin' an' greetin'.

3. To shriek with excitement or laughter, to give vent to (a shrill laugh). Gen.Sc. Ppl.adj. skirlin, shrill-voiced, accompanied by excited cries.Ayr. 1786 Burns Halloween vi.:
He grippet Nelly hard an' fast; Loud skirl'd a' the lasses.Edb. 1839 W. McDowall Poems 47:
Here todlin wee things skirl and scream, In a' the noise o' play.Per. 1895 R. Ford Tayside Songs 229:
The bairns but the hoose the noo, Were skirlin' sae wi' glee.Abd. 1906 Banffshire Jnl. (22 May) 10:
Slidin' doun the braes on snaw An' skirlin tackie, leest o' a'.m.Sc. 1917 J. Buchan Poems 49:
Nae skirlin' dash frae goal to goal.Rnf. 1925 G. Blake Wild Men i.:
Mill-girls skirling the rude, frank laughter of their kind.wm.Sc. 1984 Christine Marion Fraser Return To Rhanna (1990) 161:
The ineffable joy of watching Kate, skirts held high to display long pink drawers, oblivious to all but the gaiety of the moment, skirling and hooching while the sun crept lower in the western sky, was something not to be forgotten in a hurry.Ags. 1988 Raymond Vettese The Richt Noise 42:
The lads f'ae the Mairt
wi sharn on their feet
birl aboot the howff sawins,
(Tam on the moothie
Peem on the spoons),
heechin, skirlin, lowpin, fleein,
faain doon,
stotterin hame ...ne.Sc. 1991 Lilianne Grant Rich in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 23:
Skirlin and lauchin, ilk wi spindrift weet,
At the waves' edge the bairns their taes try in

4. Of birds: to scream, utter a shrill cry, screech. Comb. skirl-crake, skirlie-, -krake, ¶skilricraig, the turnstone, Arenaria interpres (Sh. 1809 A. Edmonston Zetland II. 240, 1914 Angus Gl.); given also as the corncrake, Crex crex (Sh. 1932 J. M. E. Saxby Trad. Lore 199, skillricraig [sic]). See Craik, n. (3).Wgt. 1804 R. Couper Poems I. 194:
The yellow cock's unwelcome scream Skirls frae the bauk right tame.Sc. 1818 Scott Rob Roy xxx.:
Like the scarts and seamaws at the Cumries, there's aye foul weather follows their skirling.Sh. 1886 G. Temple Britta 35:
A' da birds comin' oot o' their nests an' fleein' aboot ye, a' skirlin', an' screamin'.Abd. 1929 Sc. Readings (Paterson) 62:
Like craws skirlin' ower yer heids.

5. Of the wind: to blow with a shrill noise, to whistle. Derivs. skirler, a strong gale (Ork. 1929 Marw., Ork. 1970), skirlin(ie), a slight shower or fall of snow accompanied by high wind (Abd. 1970). Also vbl.n. Cf. II. 6. (ii).Bnff. 1878 Banffshire Jnl. (23 July) 2:
Fu' loudly lowed the harried steer That night upo' the skirling gale.Ags. 1891 Barrie Little Minister iii.:
Blasts from the north skirled through the manse.Abd. 1920 G. P. Dunbar Peat Reek 15:
March skirl't thro' haughs an' hichts an' howes.Sc. 1923 Sc. Univ. Verses 17:
Harken! Harken! bairnies, Harken at the Wind, D'ye no' hear her skirlin' up the close?Abd. 1950 Huntly Express (17 Feb.):
Around Huntly this last week we have got a skirlinie o' snaw.wm.Sc. 1980 Anna Blair The Rowan on the Ridge 18:
Outside the wind began to sough and sigh but, work and weather-tired and soothed by the glowing, wheezing peats, they fell easily into sleep, and it was an hour or more before the rattling of the window boards and the shriek and skirlings of a storm disturbed them.

6. To creak, to make a crackling, screeching or whistling sound, as an object at high speed.Sc. 1827 Scott Chron. Canongate iv.:
The painted board that is skirling and groaning at the door.Abd. 1909 J. Tennant Jeannie Jeffray 246:
Ye wud hae hard the brose gang skirlin' doon his throat.Ags. 1918 V. Jacob More Songs 15:
It's deith comes skirling through the sky.Abd. 1929 Sc. Readings (Paterson) 78:
Rheumatics is jist skirlin' in a' their j'ints.Abd. 1962 Abd. Press & Jnl. (4 Jan.):
A “skirlin' frost.” Could anything be more expressive, for it actually did “skirl” when you walked on it or tried to shovel it?

7. Of a musical instrument, esp. the bagpipes, or its player: to produce shrill sounds (on), to play a shrill tune. Gen.Sc. Comb. skirl-bag, the windbag of the pipes (Abd. 1920).Ayr. 1790 Burns Tam o' Shanter 123:
He screw'd the pipes and gart them skirl.Peb. 1805 J. Nicol Poems I. 145:
The piper's arm, wi' roarin glee, His chaunter set a skirlin.Sc. 1819 Scott Leg. Montrose iii.:
Their damnable skirlin' pipes.Edb. 1828 D. M. Moir Mansie Wauch ii.:
Playing as many pibrochs as would have deaved a mill-happer, — all skirling, scraping and bumming away throughither.Sc. 1893 Stevenson Catriona v.:
It heartens me like the skirling of the Highland pipes.Dmb. 1894 D. MacLeod Past Worthies 10:
None o' your wee, skirlin', godless fiddles.Cai. 1902 J. Horne Canny Countryside 37:
He skirled his pipes again and blew us royally to the door.Kcb. 1912 A. Anderson Later Poems 38:
Aye the bagpipes skirled an' played.Mry. 1924 Swatches o' Hamespun 80:
The kilted ban' their feet hae faun, Are skirlin throwe the toon.Sc. 1946 S. G. Smith Deevil's Waltz 9:
He skirls his pipes, he stamps his heel.

8. Of something very hot, esp. in frying: to sizzle, crackle, sputter (Per. 1915 Wilson L. Strathearn 266, Per. 1970). Deriv. skirler, a frying-pan (Crm. 1958). Combs. skirl-in-the-pan, the sound of frying fat, butter, etc.; any fried dish (Sc. 1825 Jam.), specif. oatmeal fried in fat with seasoning, also called Skirlie, q.v. (Cai., Ags., Per. 1970); a drink of whisky and ale mixed with oatmeal and heated in a pan, given to women attending at a birth (Kcd. 1825 Jam.); skirl-in-the-pottie (Bnff. 1930), skirl-the-fry, in the second sense above, also fig.Rnf. a.1810 R. Tannahill Poems (1900) 277:
Fried twa eggs wi' the ham she had skirlin.Rnf. 1813 G. MacIndoe Wandering Muse 39:
This mixi-maxi, hug-mug skirl the fry O mish-mash blethers baken in a pye.Sc. 1816 Scott O. Mortality v.:
I trow ye dinna get sic a skirl-in-the-pan as that at Niel Blane's.Ags. 1826 R. Chambers Pop. Rhymes 280:
Lorntie, Lorntie, Were n't na your man. I had gart your heart's blude Skirl in my pan.Clc. 1852 G. P. Boyd Misc. Poems 21:
Fryin' pans skirl here an' there.Kcb. 1894 Crockett Raiders vi.:
Frying Loch Grannoch trout upon a skirling pan.Sc. 1926 H. M'Diarmid Drunk Man 33:
Whaur elvers like skirl-in-the-pan sizzle.Ags. 1934 G. M. Martin Dundee Worthies 21:
Which mak's his fryin' pan richt foo' To skirl baith nicht an' mornin'.Bnff. 1935 Abd. Univ. Review (March) 121:
Destruction's broom wi' a michty swype Drieve a' the het drush skirlin'.m.Sc. 1996 John Murray Aspen 9:
The first Lammas fires bank doun,
reek wimples up the lum
an grey coals that yince were reid skirl nae mair,

II. n. A shrill piercing noise, a scream, screech. Gen.Sc. Specif.: 1. A high-pitched utterance or way of speaking, shrill talk.Rnf. 1791 A. Wilson Poems 234:
Her skirle Sets my twa lugs a ringing like a gir'le.m.Lth. 1884 J. Plenderleith Kittlegairy Vacancy 75:
They thocht he was a lunatic, he had such a gruesome look, and gave oot such eldritch skirls.

2. A scream or shriek of pain, anguish or fear; a squeal, of an animal. Gen.Sc.Sc. 1736 Ramsay Proverbs (1776) 82:
Ye have gi'en baith the sound thump and the loud skirl.Sc. 1816 Scott Antiquary xxxv.:
That silly fliskmahoy has done naething but laugh and greet, the skirl at the tail o' the guffa.Fif. 1827 W. Tennant Papistry 127:
His skrilles, and skriechs, and skellochs dreir.wm.Sc. 1835 Laird of Logan 263:
Every note of the widow's gamut, from the dolorous sob to the hysteric skirl in alt.Fif. 1895 S. Tytler Macdonald Lass vii.:
Though we were all killed outright You're not to give another skirl.Knr. 1917 J. L. Robertson Petition to Deil 28:
The women let aff An angersome skirl o' scorn.Abd.4 1928:
A' skirl an' nae 'oo; as the deil said fin he clippit the soo (a great outcry over nothing).Sc. 1930 Scotsman (21 May) 16:
I h'ard your skirl o' pine and fear.

3. A shriek of laughter or excited merriment. Gen.Sc.Sc. 1718 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) I. 80:
The Wives and Gytlings a' span'd out Wi' mony an unco Skirl and Shout.Edb. 1881 J. Smith Habbie and Madge 15:
The twinnies are rinnin' naked, an' makin' a bonnie skirl in the kitchen.e.Lth. 1885