The Crabbit Old Woman

Crabbit Old Woman”, also variously titled “Look Closer”, “Look Closer Nurse”, “Kate”, “Open Your Eyes” or “What Do You See?” is a poem written in 1966 by Phyllis McCormack, then working as a nurse in Sunnyside Hospital, Montrose. The poem is written in the voice of an old woman in a nursing home who is reflecting upon her life. Crabbit is Scots for “bad-tempered” or “grumpy”.

Highland Seniors Citizens Network in conjunction with Eden Court Theatre, Inverness created a short video of the poem to be shown at their annual Conference in April 2015.