the toon
in the derkness
a stainit gless winnock




the city
in the darkness
a stained glass window

weet cluds gane -
the canaul towe-peth
a bricht blae




rain clouds gone -
the canal tow-path
a bright blue

athort the blae lift
a singul contrail muves -
scriever's clag ower




across the blue sky
a single contrail moves -
writer's block over

alang the burnside
snawdraps -
snaw faws




along the waterside
snowdrops -
snow falls

the jaur
o bricht daffins
...fusslin a jig aw day




the jar
of bright daffodils
...whistling a jig all day

a stour -
the cailleach stoaps
tae mait the maws




a blizzard -
the old lady stops
to feed the gulls

chinese lassie
her yalla pouther -
a furst daffin




chinese girl
her yellow powder -
a first daffodil

brucken yill bottle
in a splinder
freithy cluds




broken beer bottle
in a fragment
frothy clouds

upwund a laddie
blawin bibbles -
a streetch intae a dramewarl




upwind a boy
blowing bubbles -
I walk into a dreamworld

'ROADWORKS' -
navvies roon the bore
gove doon oan a siller sin




'ROADWORKS' -
labourers round the hole
gaze down on a silver sun

ootside the scuil
a fecht -
reid berries i the snaw




outside the school
a fight -
red berries in the snow

craw's neb
pikes the girse
the hale perk chitters




crow's beak
spikes the grass
the whole field shivers

tirl
makkin sheddaes
stravaig throuch the chaumers




breeze
making shadows
wander through the rooms

brainches streek oot
green taps
tig the tirl




branches stretch out
green tips
touch the breeze

thowe
dubs creckin -
a greitin bairn's runkilt neb




thaw
puddles cracking -
a crying child's crumpled face

in the clessroom winnock
new bulbs
sprootin




in the classroom window
new bulbs
sprouting

throuch the fawin weet
his bleck umberellae
muivin amang the craws




through the falling rain
his black umbrella
moving amongst the crows

in a seelent vennel
a maw skirls
swallaein the jeelin wund




in a silent alley
a gull screams
swallowing the icy wind

bawdrons curlt
i the monastery cheer -
ma maister




cat curled
in the monastery chair -
my master

Mornin Mass -
a fite wunter sin
...beekin




Morning Mass -
a white winter sun
...warming

a lift fou o sterns -
clinkin o glesses
dirr o the crack




a sky full of stars -
clinking of glasses
hum of conversation

a coortin perr sit -
her neb tae the sin
muves as it muves




young lovers sit -
her face to the sun
moves as it moves

sinlicht wyvein
throuch the brainches -
planets in luve




sunlight weaving
through the branches -
planets in love

frae
the t.v. aerial
bleckie luve sangs




from
the t.v. aerial
blackbird love songs

gled
on the heichest brainch
a contrail progs'm




hawk
on the highest branch
a contrail pierces him

oot frae the snaw
a siller birk
makkin a plash




out from the snow
a silver birch
making a splash

maw
ower freestit perks
lit frae aneath




gull
over frosted fields
lit from beneath

janiveer jazz -
the wund-section's
blawn the ruif aff




january jazz -
the wind-section's
blown the roof off

granda hauds'm
up tae the winnock
...dichts a fou muin ontae't




grandfather holds him up
to the window
...rubs a full moon onto it

snell wund
throuch the causeys
a joogler jooglin gullies




bitter wind
through the streets
a juggler juggling knives

youthie chiels
fellin youthie chiels -
weet blatters on sclidder




young men
killing young men -
rain beats on ice

takkin doon
Yule lichts -
the gairden snawlit




taking down
Christmas lights -
the garden snowlit

licht throuch the winnock -
in aw the picturs
fawin snaw




light through the window -
in all the pictures
falling snow

plainstanes chackert
wi snaw an snawmelt -
a haud tae the bleck




pavements chequered
with snow and snowmelt -
I keep to the black

on a brig -
twa trevellers
skair the wurd... 'pace'




on a bridge -
two travellers
share the word... 'peace'

hogmanay -
rackets agane
flourishin fir a saicont




new year's eve -
fireworks again
blossoming for a second