The auld folks hame
The auld folks hame was a’richt
But life wis awfy droll
An’ the Matron o’ the hale shebang
Wis mair nor Jock could tholl
She wis a nippit little crater
Her life one long parade
As the heid an’ founer member
O’ the anti fun brigade
Every year midsummer
They got ta’en oot tae the park
Tae hae an “old folk’s picnic”
Well, ye can stuff that fur a lark
For a’ ye’d get wis sandwiches
A fine piece an some tea
Nae chance o’ a tin o’ lager
Or a dram - or two - or three
For the Matron wis T-total
A Brethren Quine frae Buckie
An’ as she nae langer bides there
Then wisnae Buckie lucky
She had nae truck wi’ alcohol,
Strang drink, like beer or whiskey
But Jock would get refreshit yet
Though his ploy was surely risky
The nicht afore the picnic
Jock had got his plans a’ figurt
Tae sabotage the enterprise
An’ see the hale thing jiggert
He’d use a bitty subterfuge
Tae liven up the shower
Aye - subterfuge - an’ picnic food -
An’ cask strength Aberlour !
He’d got a swap o’ an auld syringe
For a half pound bag o’ sweeties
Frae an auld soul cryit MaryAnn
Fa hid type one diabetes
Now, he crept into the kitchen
Like a Commando on a bridge
An’ tiptoed ‘cross the lino
And opened up the fridge.
Aye - there they were
Jist like last year
An’ fur mony years a’fore
A tray o’ orange ballies
A’neath the ice tray door
They were Matron’s contribution
Supposed to be a “treat”
A biled egg, an’ breadcrumbs
An’ some gie teuch sausage meat
Jock jist didna like them
In fact, it wis mair like hate
They clogget up his dentures
An’ got stuck a’neath his plate
Matron kent he didna like them
An’ frankly, didna care
She’d stan’ an’ watch him finish een
An’ then come back, wi’ mair
The aul witch !!
Time an’ again he fill’t the syringe
He kept a carefull tally
An’ skoosh’t a double whiskey
Intae iv’ry orange ballie
If Matron e’r jaloused his plan
She’d fairly hit the roof
For iv’ry yin o’ her picnic treats
Wis now o’er sivinty proof !!
The following’ morn
They headit oot
A weary brand o’ sojers
A crocodile o’ zimmers
Over twinty coffin dodgers
They foond a fine spot on the grass
An’ gradually settl’t doon
An’ sat in resignation
While the scran wis handed roon
The sandwiches - well whit can ye say
We’re much mair breed than fillin’
They’d obviously warm’d the juice up
Whiles the pot o’ tea wis chillin’
The Empire biscuits had gone a’ soft
The cake wis like asbestos
But Matron’s treats They a’ concurr’d
We’re totally Stupendous!!
They’re een went wide - They sat up straight
They said “woooo these things are rare”
An’ Matron wis dumfoonurt
Fin they a’ cried oot fur mair
The eens wi’ teeth, they champit doon
While she jist stood, an’ lookit
Files the toothless eens amongst them
Jist gumm’d the ba’s, an’ sookit
Now, naebody’s sure fit happen’t nixt
The Police report wis sparse
But the annual auld een’s picnic
Fairly turn’d intae a farce
They were swimin in the foontain
They were fechtin in the dubs
An’ one couple in they’re ninetys
Headed off intae the shrubs !!
A big fat dame cried Teenie
(Who manifestly wisnae)
Showed dimpled knees in a wild striptease
An’, let’s be fair, fa’ hisnae?
She scandalised the Matron
took the wind clean oot her sails
By usin’ paper hankies
Tae dae a dance o’ the sivin veils
They a’ agreed, as far as picnics went
It really wis the tops
An’ that the best o’ the entertainment
Hid been fechtin’ wi’ the cops
An’ foo Matron had been arrested -
Carted off - down til the Station
For tryin’ tae poison aul’ folk -
Chemical intoxication !!
That nicht as they sat contented
In the day room o’ the hame
To revue the day’s proceedings
And rejoice in Matron’s shame
Jock’s pal Tam asked
“Fit d’ye ca’ those orange ballies?
Aye they fair gie’d her a fleg”
An’ aul’ Jock smiled an’ murmured
“ Oh, they ca’ those things, Scotched Eggs”