What's in a Burn Poem?

Translation from Scots:

O would some Power with vision teach us

To see ourselves as others see us!

It would from many a blunder free us,

And foolish notions:

What airs in dress and carriage would leave us,

And even devotion!

Burns wrote “To A Louse”, in 1786.??At first glance it’s a funny reflection of sitting in church and seeing a dirty wee louse crawling on the back of a pretty, affluent woman in the pew in front of him, making its way over her fancy dress to its bounty under her beautiful bonnet….??

On further inspection though it becomes clear this is a satirical nod to the importance of self-awareness and humility; even the well-to-do are not beyond a louse and they’d do well to remember it.??It points to the awareness of how the “airs” of vanity, appearances and status that eventually trap our faithful devotion can and often do cloud our judgement of ourselves and others; even in 1786…

This wee louse sees no airs or graces, to him, in his tiny wee eyes we’re all exactly the same.??There’s a lesson in there for sure…

When we think of Burn’s we often think of a Burn’s Supper and an Address to the Haggis or “Old Lang Syne” at Hogmanay.??I imagine we often trivialise the few poems and songs of his we know of, by not considering the meaning behind them, just the celebration attached.??I admit that’s easy to do and maybe how most Scots of my generation were brought up.?

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It struck me though that Burns is the only celebration of the life of a poet in my google calendar, appearing as an automatic entry like Easter Sunday, Mothers’ Day and Christmas.??Burns is celebrated across the world, and he is adopted by many other nations as his own, not just on Burn’s Night and Hogmanay.??He is universal, but so unique, laughing with life not against it despite the hardships of the time.??Considered now as ahead of his time, he was a humanitarian; he saw the humanity in everyone from every walk; a libertarian who advocated freedom of choice and an equalitarian, a love for ‘the wimen’ of course but a deep love of people.??His work is his commentary of his era and his short but jam-packed life.??He talks with pride of the everyday struggles of the working class of which he remained, despite the deity of being declared and published in his own lifetime as “Scotland’s Bard”.??I grew up celebrating Burns, but I admit, never I’ve never been quite sure why he’s so celebrated, until now.

Tradition prevails, I always do haggis, neeps and tatties on Burns Night.??AND this year I got down an old battered 1962 copy of Burns Poem’s and Songs by James Barke, that has sat in my bookcase since I can remember, something I’ve been meaning to do, since I can remember – I don’t actually know how it even got into my bookcase.??Burns work is funny, sad, true and brilliantly human.??It’s full of satirical lament for what we have always strived and still strive for today: self-awareness, mindfulness, compassion, humility and love.??Some things just never change and that’s actually quite comforting; that mastery of the above is rare - but practice is vital.

O wad some Pow’r the giftie gie us

To see oursels as others see us!

This struck a particular chord for me today. When I’m coaching or being coached (us coaches have coaches too you know), so much of what we do is about developing layers of self-awareness and removed layers of wonky thoughts.??This wee louse made me think: we get so caught up in stuff and things, places and experiences, appearances and judgements, perceptions and imaginings…??They all cloud our view of ourselves and others.??We get caught in a loop.??We stop noticing what’s?really?going on.??We listen to and totally believe with some serious conviction, the stories we tell ourselves.??But they are just stories, and we can change them. We, with some effort have the power, 'To see oursels as others see us!', but as Burns alludes, it takes a bit of work to get there...

This wee poem reminds me that looking inside is way more important than out.??To see ourselves as other see us: the power of self-awareness that highlights the paradox of self-acceptance actually leads us to change - and change we must continually do.??

The lesson from that wee louse: If we are not moving forwards in change, we are going backwards because there is no such thing as staying still.??Burns reminds me that humility within this change is vital; gratitude and mindfulness are the backbone to this.??A sense of humour is the critical guide to not becoming too big for our boots.??And of, course the humility to respect, “We are a’ Jock Tamson’s bairns efteraw’; we are all the same, in the end.

And here’s me thinking all this time, it was a just a wee poem about a nits…..??

#burnsnight #mindfulness #humility