Thanks Robin,
I must be one of few non-Glaswegians on the list (my granny came from
Edinburgh) but, though I pretty much got the drift of the original, this wee
spoiler makes it clearer.
Appreciated.
Cheers,
Jill
> THE SIX GLASGOW POEMS IN "ENGLISH"
>
> (Tom Leonard included this note in his +Poems+ (1973). As far as I know,
> this is the only place it appears, and I suspect it was meant partly as a
> joke. R.)
>
> (1) THE GOOD THIEF: Hey Jimmy! Are you allright, eh? Still with us, are you?
> Eh? Hey Jimmy! Am I right in saying you're a Pape? Am I right in saying
> you're one of us, Jimmy? (One can) see it in your eyes - one of us. Hey! Hey
> Jimmy! (It) looks like we're going to miss the game. Going, to miss the GAME
> Jimmy! (Its) nearly three o'clock the now (just now). Dark, isn't it? Good
> job they've got the lights (i.e. floodlights).
>
> N.B. The author was brought up to believe that Christ died on the cross
> promptly at three p.m. on Good Friday. Three p.m. is also usually the time
> at which football matches start. In Glasgow, Catholics generally support
> Glasgow Celtic, while Protestants usually support Glasgow Rangers. The Good
> Thief is therefore assumed to be a Celtic supporter, who addresses Christ
> shortly before 3 o'clock, as darkness descends on the earth. The reason for
> assuming that the Good Thief was a Celtic supporter is because Christ said
> to him, "This night thou shalt be with me in Paradise" - and "Paradise" is
> the nickname for Celtic's football ground.
>
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