Saturday, December 27, 2014

boxing day  -
a disjaskit teddy-bear
quat on a perk bink



boxing day  -
a forlorn teddy-bear
left on a park bench


Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Yule gifts
in a bing  -
he daffs wi the happins




Christmas gifts
piled high  -
he plays with the wrappings

Saturday, December 20, 2014

abuin
the suicide's hoose
a skirlin maw




above
the suicide's house
a keening gull

Friday, December 19, 2014

cosmos  -
fush-een
in a derk dub




cosmos  -
fish-eyes
in a dark pool

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

on the buss
threy roses
...fegs! yin's a reid rab




on the bush
three roses
...oops! one's a robin

Monday, December 15, 2014

en o term  -
abuin the schuil
geese winnin awa




end of term  -
above the school
geese leaving

Saturday, December 13, 2014

parteecularities
o the burn  -
jazz tae himenal




vagaries
of the stream  -
jazz to hymnal
Advent  -
geelt sparks hing,
daw's lowe
weirs amang thaim




Advent  -
frozen raindrops hang,
dawn's flame
passes amongst them

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

hame frae the kirk  -
the muin's flittit
twa causeys awa




home from church  -
the moon's moved
two streets away

Wednesday, December 03, 2014

abuin the wa
a topper snuves  -
the cortege wins awa




above the wall
a tile hat glides  -
the cortege sets off

Sunday, November 30, 2014

byler bylin  -
the bairn skirls
at arabesques o steam




kettle boiling  -
the child squeals
at arabesques of steam

Saturday, November 29, 2014

a singul straik  -
hern raxin
frae yirth tae lift




a single stroke  -
heron stretching
from earth to sky

Thursday, November 27, 2014

twa staps
in'r zimmer
...yince queen o the jive




two steps
in her zimmer
...once queen of the jive

Sunday, November 23, 2014

sheddaes:
calligraphy o cheer-legs
throuch's preachin




shadows:
calligraphy of chair-legs
during his sermon

Friday, November 21, 2014

pairtin
wi ghaists agane
the blues




sharing
with ghosts again
the blues

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

burn in spate  -
rodden berries
dichtit




flooded stream  -
rowan berries
washed clean

Monday, November 17, 2014

addict  -
cuddlin the rose
bleedin frae the breer




addict  -
hugging the rose
bleeding from the thorn

Saturday, November 08, 2014

turnt tae the muin  -
her bricht
smirkin neb




turned to the moon  -
her bright
smiling face

Tuesday, November 04, 2014

her auld dug's deid  -
ilka day
she straivaigs its ghaist




her old dog is dead  -
every day
she walks its ghost

Monday, November 03, 2014

aw saints' day  -
a witchie's bunnet
rowes alang the causey




all saints' day  -
a witch's hat
rolls along the street

Sunday, November 02, 2014

maple tree
leafless  -
derk arteries




maple tree
leafless  -
dark arteries

Saturday, November 01, 2014

tea wi the abbot  -
straeberry jeely
on's chin




tea with the abbot  -
strawberry jam
on his chin

a bing
o nebless
pumpkins




a pile
of expressionless
pumpkins

Friday, October 24, 2014

peerie lass
waffs an waffs  -
soothboond geese




little girl
waves and waves  -
southbound geese

Thursday, October 23, 2014

late-nicht drouthie
fleetchin
it's latch




late-night drunk
begging
at his keyhole

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

sclammerin
ower the palin
nasturtiums...leavin




clambering
over the fence
nasturtiums...leaving

Saturday, October 11, 2014

regatta
swans
chorein the geggie




regatta
swans
stealing the show

Friday, October 10, 2014

tinkie wife cadgin -
her bairn
tentie o ilka muive




gypsy begging -
her child
absorbing every nuance
seelant pictur -
the pianny player's
sair fingers




silent movie -
the pianist's
aching fingers

Thursday, October 09, 2014

throuch fawin leaves
a lang-tint neb
assemmles




through falling leaves
a long-lost face
assembles

Wednesday, October 08, 2014

chess in the perk -
a corbie
hunkers tentie




chess in the park -
a rook
sits watching

Wednesday, October 01, 2014

maple leaves -
the tips
kinnlin




maple leaves -
the tips
kindling

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

auld sodger stravaigs
...his bleck backpack
o sheddaes




old soldier wanders
...his black backpack
of shadows

Monday, September 29, 2014

blate bairn
nieves steekit in een -
kens whaur she's sauf




shy child
fists bunched in eyes -
knows where she's safe

Sunday, September 28, 2014

a hinmaist flee
deein
wi the simmer




a last fly
dying
with the summer

Saturday, September 27, 2014

the dool
o the 'tint an fund'
bink




the sadness
of the 'lost and found'
shelf



Saturday, September 20, 2014

scuil fecht -
snowkin bluid frae'm
neist day




school fight -
smelling blood from him
next day

Thursday, September 18, 2014

wab  -
freestit
rose winnock




web  -
frosted
rose window

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

referendum eve -
hairst leaves
hing bi a threid




referendum eve -
autumn leaves
hang by a thread

Saturday, September 13, 2014

foster bairn -
fauldit in's pooch
mither's hinmaist jot




foster child -
folded in his pocket
mother's last note

Tuesday, September 09, 2014

spinster's gairden -
wabs
hing frae breers




spinster's garden -
webs
hang from thorns

Thursday, September 04, 2014

zip
o a kingfeesher
haar steekin ahint it




zip
of a kingfisher
mist closing behind it

Tuesday, September 02, 2014

the grue
o tyin a snuid -
granny's arthritis




the horror
of tying a ribbon -
grandmother's arthritis

Sunday, August 31, 2014

new bairn
weanin -
muinlit serenade




new baby
suckling -
moonlit serenade

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

hoaspice veesit -
her furst staps
on a hinmaist rod




hospice visit -
her first steps
on a last road

Monday, August 25, 2014

muin leukin -
hungower
on muinsheen




moon viewing -
hungover
on moonshine

Saturday, August 23, 2014

clear vause o roses -
deep in the watter
muckle breers




clear vase of roses -
deep in the water
magnified thorns

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

the oops-an-doons
o thair youthie lives
...skeetbrod perk




the ups-and-downs
of their young lives
...skateboard park

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

snip snip
makkin shroods
...sniper




snip snip
making shrouds
...sniper

Sunday, August 10, 2014

a threesome
muinlichtin:
sin yirth muin




a trio
moonlighting:
sun earth moon
peerie tots at
rugby trainin -
faithers hunker dwaumin...




tiny-tots at
rugby training -
fathers sit dreaming...

Monday, August 04, 2014

on bygaun
cumulus cluds
maw-scarts




on passing
cumulus clouds
gull-scribbles
a deavance o snails
dunt an scrunt
...thair castanets




a plague of snails
bump and grind
...their castanets

Saturday, August 02, 2014

mornin glory
tooters
while thrapplin the rose




morning glory
trumpets
whilst strangling the rose

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

fush-cadger's van
reekin o the sea -
maws in'ts wauk




fishmonger's van
smelling of the sea -
gulls in its wake

Monday, July 28, 2014

butterie -
ilka vaig
a daunce




butterfly -
every journey
a dance

Sunday, July 27, 2014

wild-flooer seeds
fund in's pooch
...bydein resurrectioun




wild-flower seeds
found in his pocket
...awaiting resurrection

Saturday, July 26, 2014

yin
bygaun thocht:
clud




one
passing thought:
cloud
picnic -
butterflies and
flies in the butter


(Winner CCK#52 (play on words)

Friday, July 18, 2014

granbairn
rins skirlin -
ghaists amang the waashin




grandchild
runs screaming -
ghosts amongst the washing

Friday, July 11, 2014

fremmit flooers -
a reid admiral
sattles on ma guidwife




exotic flowers -
a red admiral
settles on my wife

Monday, June 30, 2014

faither's bothy -
bottle scrievit 'weed killer'
reekin o fusky




father's hut -
bottle marked 'weed killer'
smelling of whisky

Friday, June 27, 2014

clessroom globe -
nebs gove oot
frae africae




classroom globe -
faces stare out
from africa

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

snails
on the mairch
laidit backpacks




snails
on the march
loaded backpacks

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

troot stream -
mey-flees jig
syne couk




trout stream -
may-flies dance
then disappear

Saturday, June 14, 2014

doos on the ruiflicht
me
thair unnerwatter bogle




pigeons on the rooflight
I
their underwater monster

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

bairgin
wi a bygaun thocht
butterie




colliding
with a passing thought
butterfly

Monday, June 09, 2014

campanula -
sparks hingin
sea blae




campanula -
raindrops hanging
sea blue

Saturday, June 07, 2014

in the backlans
skailt confetti -
new-wad's gairden




in the ghetto
scattered confetti -
newly-wed's garden

Thursday, May 29, 2014

lichtnin -
stappin frae a clud
a crofter wi's hey-sned




lightning -
stepping from a cloud
a hill-farmer with his scythe
in the winnock
an attercap's wab
...he hauds up her lung x-ray




in the window
a spider's web
...he holds up her lung x-ray
flicht hindert -
oors tentie o
crans' aerobatics




flight delayed -
hours watching
swifts' aerobatics

Thursday, May 22, 2014

aw day
the pyned rairs
as the auld aik dees




all day
the agonized roars
as the old oak dies

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

murtherer bawdrons
contert -
bleckie awes me a sang




killer cat
thwarted -
blackbird owes me a song

Thursday, May 15, 2014

amissin bairn  -
the mither:
fingers daffin wi fingers




missing child  -
the mother:
fingers playing with fingers

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

furst mappie
o the year
...wrocht o cluds




first rabbit
of the year
...made of clouds

Saturday, May 03, 2014

mornin blues  -
in a neuk
attercap thrums a threid




morning blues  -
in a corner
spider strums a thread

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

peerie fleein draigon
brucken awa
...butterie




little kite
broken free
...butterfly

Monday, April 28, 2014

alang wi voar
her herr
growein back agane




along with spring
her hair
growing back again

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Guid Friday -
cruciform a maw snuves
athort the lift




Good Friday -
cruciform a gull glides
across the sky

Sunday, April 20, 2014

sica  lang weir...
her herr
a'ready in pleats




such a long war...
her hair
already in pigtails

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

agin the derk
skinklin ploom flourish -
splairge o luve




against the dark
glittering plum blossom -
splash of love

Saturday, April 12, 2014

howkin throuch
thair coats -
bummer amang gean flourish




rummaging through
their petticoats -
bee among cherry blossom

Sunday, April 06, 2014

the auld pipie
chisty nou
pipie an pipes'r yin




the old piper
bronchial now
piper and bagpipes are one
plooin tyme -
the slawly turnin
yirth




ploughing time -
the slowly turning
earth

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Flanders puppies:
shivereens o sinlicht
...queeverin




Flanders poppies:
smithereens of sunlight
...quivering


(W.W.1 1914-2014)

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

hert-sair weedae
preein the sea
in's duddies




grief-stricken widow
tasting the sea
in his clothes

Monday, March 24, 2014

in'r goonie
the cailleach
croons tae the swan




in her nightgown
the old lady
sings to the swan

Sunday, March 23, 2014

waddin
gean flourish
squirls an frulls




wedding
cherry blossom
flounces and frills

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

i the bombed kirk
a bairn
...skailt chalice




in the bombed church
a child
...spilt chalice
daffins
appenin
...ettlin tae croon




daffodils
opening
...wanting to sing

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

voar
slawly daubs colour
...spleitert palette




spring
slowly dabs colour
...spattered palette

Thursday, March 13, 2014

frae the quate
buds
dunch athort the thrashel




from the silence
buds
ease across the threshold
nicht fushin -
quarter muin's
siller preen




night fishing -
crescent moon's
silver hook

Tuesday, March 04, 2014

voar -
throuch gray vennels
a reid bike




spring -
through grey streets
a red bicycle

Monday, March 03, 2014

Mardi Gras -
burd-brods
thrang




Mardi Gras -
bird-tables
crowded

Saturday, March 01, 2014

maw skirl
i the ceetie -
swaws o greenin




gull cry
in the city -
waves of longing
snawdraps
as on yer waddin day -
time's ayebydand bob




snowdrops
as on your wedding day -
time's eternal posy












Tuesday, February 25, 2014

awbodie's bodie
draps a note -
wuns back his blateness




ten times champion
fluffs a note -
wins back his modesty

Sunday, February 23, 2014

on the pianny
a vause o daffins
...skimmerin Chopin




on the piano
a vase of daffodils
...shimmering Chopin

(mainich daily news)

Saturday, February 22, 2014

nicht puil -
fush hove
tae crottles o sterns




night pool -
fish rise
to crumbs of stars


(Mainichi Daily News)
granfaither
babby-settin -
bairn goos'm ower




grandfather
baby-sitting -
baby croodles him asleep

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

sparks hing on brainches -
throuch-licht's spectrum
flourishes




raindrops hang on branches -
through-light's spectrum
blossoms


brennin his auld lair -
reek's thrawins
o luve an daith




burning his old bed -
smoke's writhings
of love and death

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

fusslin wund
fashless -
cowpt lums




whistling wind
unconcerned -
toppled chimneys
refugee camp  -
bairn's snawmen
haud forrit




refugee camp -
children's snowmen
undefeated

Monday, February 10, 2014

burthday balloon
little-boukit -
granfaither's braith gane




birthday balloon
deflated -
grandfather's breath gone

Friday, January 31, 2014

a fitbaw...
an sodgers an bairns
are yin




a football...
and soldiers and children
are one

Thursday, January 30, 2014

snell -
maggies'
chitterin claiver




bitter cold -
magpies'
chittering chatter

Monday, January 27, 2014

in a cage
o scabbit brainches
a tweedlin burd




in a cage
of leafless branches
a singing bird


(holocaust day)

Friday, January 24, 2014

voar bulbs
boo tae the licht
...bleckies tae




spring bulbs
bend to the light
...blackbirds too

Sunday, January 19, 2014

on the strand
daw-pentit
chuckies




on the shore
dawn-painted
pebbles

Thursday, January 16, 2014

a murther
craws
gaitherin




a murder
crows
gathering

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

radgie
saw nebs
...hern leuks conflummixt




randy
goosanders
...heron looks shocked

Thursday, January 09, 2014

circus saison -
reid rab
peerie lowe-chower




circus season -
the robin
little fire-eater

Saturday, January 04, 2014

hungert bairn
liggs in'r lap
...derk concerteeny




starving child
lies in her lap
...dark concertina
hern an me -
oor harns
collin ilk ither




heron and I -
our brains
shaping each other




Friday, January 03, 2014

midden stramash -
maws, fite spatrils
craws, bleck




rubbish-tip cacophony -
gulls, white notes
crows, black

Thursday, January 02, 2014

nuns gairdnin -
flooers
drookit in lauchter




nuns gardening -
flowers
drenched in laughter
anither towmond -
weir skaiths
aye dreepin




a new year -
war wounds
still dripping

Wednesday, January 01, 2014

in a bombed kirk
a bairn
...skailt chalice




in a bombed church
a child
...spilt chalice