Homecoming and The Cotter's Saturday Night

On 27 November last year, my BlipFoto was of the flowers that are ever present at the communal entrance to Braehead House, where I live. Added to the flowers, is now a simple sign of Welcome Home, to the residents of the 35 apartments who live here.

Coming home this evening, after another busy day, I was reminded of the importance of home to Robert Burns. One of his greatest poems is The Cotter's Saturday Night. The poem recounts the hard working son of toil returning to his simple home, to meet and share family life, in love, with his wife and children. Burns describes the majesty of home, and places the homely scene in wider relief when writing,

From scenes like these, Old Scotia's grandeur springs,
That make her lov'd at home, rever'd abroad:
Princes and lords are but the breath of kings,
"An honest man's the noblest work of God";
And certes, in fair virtue's heavenly road,
The cottage leaves the palace far behind;
What is a lordling's pomp? a cumbrous load,
Disguising oft the wretch of human kind,
Studied in arts of hell, in wickedness refin'd!