Scots soundbytes - The Coming of the Wee Malkies
© The Scotsman Publications Ltd / SCRAN
Children love this poem by Stephen Mulrine although many words and phrases may need explanation. It captures the speech rhythms of Glasgow in a humorous way.
The term 'malkie' is not heard much today, but is listed in the 'Dictionary of the Scots Language' as Glaswegian 'gangster' slang for a 'weapon'. In this context it refers to a group of children or youths plaguing the neighbourhood with their anti-social behaviour.
A possible class discussion based around this poem could focus on whether there are any modern-day 'malkies' and if so, how they behave.
Audio file: 'The coming of the wee malkies by Stephen Mulrine' (801KB)
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There are many prose passages and poems exploring Glasgow tenement life which could be used in conjunction with this poem. Here are a few:
- Where is the Glasgow that I used to know? – by Adam McNaughtan
- The Jeely Piece Song – by Adam McNaughtan
- Black Friday – by James Copeland
- The Red Yo Yo – Matt McGinn
- The Big Sui and The Lucky Middens by Billy Connolly
- Dancing in the Streets – by Cliff Hanley
- Shoes Were for Sunday – by Molly Weir
Suggested activities
Word file: Suggested activities on 'The coming of the wee malkies' (84KB)
The Kist
The text of 'The coming of the Wee Malkies' can be found in The Kist anthology, published by Learning and Teaching Scotland.