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Raith, Hope and Charity

HUGH MORRIS

Friday, September 24th, 2004

1 Leave a comment on verse 1 0 James McHaggis, known as Jim,
Used t’ sing his fav’rit’ hymn,
“Lord protect Raith Rovers come what may…”
Wi’ inspiration from John Wesley,
He sang jus’ like Elvis Presley,
‘Twould resound around th’ ground on Saturday…

2 Leave a comment on verse 2 0 He also took th’ foo’ball pools,
An’ one o’ his strict rules
Was t’ always mark Raith Rovers for a win,
Although aul’ Jim could choose
T’ predict his team would lose,
He considered tha’ would be a mortal sin…

3 Leave a comment on verse 3 0 His teenage daughter Pearl,
Was a lovely lookin’ girl,
Conservative, religious an’ devout,
Niver took a drink,
Didna smoke I think,
An’ she only swore when it slipped out…

4 Leave a comment on verse 4 0 Pearl said t’ her dear Dad,
“It really makes me sad,
Tha’ ev’ry week yer Raith result is wrong,
Y’ could win th’ pools quite soon,
If you’d only change yer tune,
An’ maybe sing a diff’rent holy song…”

5 Leave a comment on verse 5 0 So nex’ week a’ th’ game,
Aul’ Jim hung his head in shame,
An’ stood there wi’ his face a deathly pale,
As th’ tears rolled down his cheeks,
He gave out some muffled squeaks,
Then whimpered, “Lord, allow Dunfermline t’ prevail…

6 Leave a comment on verse 6 0 I mos’ humbly Thee entreat,
Make Raith Rovers taste defeat,
Though I have followed them religiously…”
But when th’ final whistle blew,
Wi’ Dunfermline 1 Raith 2,
Jim’s pools coupon showed a Rovers victory…

7 Leave a comment on verse 7 0 Th’ cash he won was Heaven sent,
So Jim tithed his ten percent,
T’ th’ Presleyterian Church upon th’ hill,
An’ as for all th’ rest,
Jim did what he thought best,
An’ left it t’ Raith Rovers in his Will…

© Llew Beaton 24 September 2004.

Source: http://footballpoets.org/poems/raith-hope-and-charity/