the cailleach

feart o'r neebours

...wesps' byke

the old lady

afraid of her neighbours

...wasps' byke

rin -doon pairt o toon  -

e'en the rodden berries

ur stoorie

run-down part of town  -

even the rowan berries

are dusty

unner the gizzent leaves

the butterie hunkers 

in a tuim burd bath

under the shrivelled leaves

the butterfly sits

in an empty bird bath

haitwave  -

the bodach an the flooers

wultin

heatwave  -

the old man and the flowers

wilting

this year

the flooers stound

fir a bummer's pree

this year

the flowers ache

for a bee's kiss

craw hunkers wi me  -

a fusper tae'm

whiles he nid-nods

crow sits with me  -

I whisper to him

sometimes he nods

Gaza  - whaur the warl 

daffs it jack straws

wi bairns' banes

Gaza  -  where the world

plays Jack straws

with chldrens' bones