Chanters At The Table

Learn the tunes
Burn rhythm and tempo into your brain
Perfect the birls and strikes
Crunluaths, cuts, grips and throws.
Make your mistakes here
Not on the field before the judges.
The PM is tolerant at the table,
Patient here but not forever.
On the field another standard reigns,
One that owes allegiance
To the piper on your left and right
And to the one who taps the rhythm
From attack to final stop.
Listen to the left and to the right
To the insistent thump of the bass
And to the mentor who guided you here.
Come to the table prepared to learn.
This is where piping begins.