In Violet Jacob’s poem, “hech” describes the speaker’s inability to speak or act confidently when he is beside Joann. It is paired with “haver,” meaning to ramble or talk foolishly, so “hech an’ I haver” suggests nervous, uncertain speech caused by love and embarrassment. The word is a distinctly Scots expression rather than a standard English term.

“Hech” is a Scots Dialect word used here as a verb. It commonly appears alongside “haver,” which can mean to babble, ramble, or talk nonsense. In this poem, the phrase is not merely about hesitation: it conveys romantic awkwardness and the speaker’s difficulty expressing his feelings. The spelling reflects Scots pronunciation and language; it should not be confused with the English exclamation “heck.”