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Unner a Berlin sun, ower cauld beer by Wendy Miller

2nd October 2023

Poet, playwright, teacher and LGBTQ+ campaigner, Wendy Miller is one half of Glasgow spoken-word cabaret, Versaye! which aims to illuminate marginalised voices.

Wendy’s poetry has been published by Gutter and New Writing Scotland. She graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 2020 with a Masters In Playwriting (with distinction).

Preoccupied by language, life and love, Wendy writes in both Scots and English. She is currently working on a new collection entitled On It Like a Sonnet. Wendy lives in Govanhill, Glasgow with her partner Gillian and son Edwyn.

Unner a Berlin sun, ower cauld beer

‘Happy golden wedding dear mum and dad 
here’s tay fiftay mair year,’ wiz ma bad    joke
fairgruns ur foarmd fay hunners a wee spokes
yer big wheel fair whurlt, its shada’s stull grand.
Twelfth flair, cocktails: fowr; yin streetchd oot sunset
spent oan Berlin’s shooders. Mind thon picture.
luck back at it and yer weans don’t bicker
fowr o us laughin away, nae regrets
Brother, you pulled a face: ‘don’t be sa daft.’
they’d gone to bed when ah said: ‘winter’s near.’
unner a Berlin sun, ower cauld beer
‘Soon it will just be us, you and me, left.’
Ah chose ma words weel. Cherish. Precious. Gold.
The sun dippt and drappt. It was late, dark, cauld.