Monday, December 30, 2019

teuch tymes
teuch meisurs  -
reid lamplicht on'r herr




tough times
tough measures  -
red lamplight on her hair

Friday, December 27, 2019

faimily retour hame
tae fremmit lans
...a turn aff the Yule lichts




family return home
to foreign lands
...I turn off the Christmas lights

Thursday, December 19, 2019

postie hame frae wark  -
ahint the door Yule cairds
...his seelent skirl




postman home from work  -
behind the door Christmas cards
...his silent scream

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

hert dept.  -
Yule tree lichts
...stoondin




cardiac dept  -
Christmas tree lights
...pulsing

Friday, December 13, 2019

raggity
election posters
...clutterin




tattered
election posters
...cluttering

Thursday, December 12, 2019

wund
hysts an sattles
hysts an sattles the mornin




wind
lifts and settles
lifts and settles the morning

Monday, December 09, 2019

anither Yule tree  -
ilka thingum a myndin
...rosit clagginess




another Christmas tree  -
each bauble a memory
...resin stickiness

Friday, December 06, 2019

trains airtin northart
echa i the airch
he dovers unner




trains heading north
echo in the arch
he sleeps under

Monday, December 02, 2019

sea souch  -
sclimin the reegin
o a heich-strung net...wabster




sea breeze  -
climbing the rigging
of a high-strung net...spider
carnival nicht
airms fou o teddy-bears  -
sniper hame on leave




carnival night
arms full of teddy-bears  -
sniper home on leave

Thursday, November 21, 2019

doverin  -
her cadgin cup
hauden oot in a jeelt haun




asleep  -
her begging cup
held out in a frozen hand

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

craw
reenges a crisp poke
...hern's sneist




crow
searches a crisp packet
 ...heron's disdain

Thursday, November 14, 2019

up an doon
the wab threid
the sin's finger pizzicatos




up and down
the web's thread
the sun's finger pizzicatos

Friday, November 08, 2019

on the platform
eildit trainspotters
...stame poorin frae thayr mous



on the platform
aged trainspotters
...steam pouring from their mouths

Thursday, November 07, 2019

hairst leaves fawin  -
on a peerie lassie's heid
a croun




autumn leaves falling  -
on a little girl's head
a crown

Monday, October 28, 2019

freesty mornin 
jookin intae the greenhoose
...a haiku taks ruit




frosty morning 
nipping into the greenhouse
...a haiku takes root

Thursday, October 24, 2019

scushin leaves  -
hairst
shenachies




shuffling leaves  -
autumn
storytellers

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

armistice day
it the rugby cairn
...wull thae ken we touched doon?



armistice day
at the rugby memorial
...will they know we touched down?




Wednesday, October 16, 2019

owernicht
the wund's added mair
tae the leafy jeegsaw




overnight
the wind's added more
to the leafy jigsaw

Friday, October 11, 2019

quatin the doctor's
a craw follaes me  -
does he ken sumthin?




leaving the doctor's
a crow follows me  -
does he know something?






Friday, October 04, 2019

skwurrel
stoorin alang the wa
...peerie hurdler




squirrel
racing along the wall
...little hurdler

Wednesday, October 02, 2019

skrank craigs, bauldie-heidit  -
hairst-lik days
fir the pish-the-beds




skinny necks, bald-headed  -
autumnal days
for the dandelions

Tuesday, October 01, 2019

amang the leaves
chessies oot o thayr shall
...broon een




among the leaves
chestnuts out of their shell
...brown eyes
hairst  -
i the schuil playgrun
the bairgin o conkers




autumn  -
in the school playground
the collision of chestnuts

Monday, September 23, 2019

her heidstane
owersheddain his  -
sib haggle




her headstone
overshadowing his  -
sibling rivalry

Monday, September 16, 2019

waukrife nicht  -
the wastern wund
snocherin i the lum




sleepless night  -
the western wind
snoring in the chimney

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

unner the rodden tree
he expones
arters an clots




under the rowan tree
he explains
arteries and clots

Monday, September 09, 2019

weet  -
in seelent causeys
the scrinchin o snails




rain  -
in silent streets
the crunching of snails

Sunday, September 01, 2019

ma hoaspital marra  -
his waesome
muin neb




my hospital companion  -
his sad
moon face

sheenin i the derk  -
a stern faw'n
frae a git-weill cart




shining in the dark  -
a star fallen
from a get-well card

Thursday, August 29, 2019

derk thochts
this mornin
...twa craws




dark thoughts
this morning
...two crows

Thursday, August 22, 2019

auld trawlerman
his runkelt brou
...the ebbin tide




the old trawlerman
his wrinkled brow
...the ebbing ocean

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

efter the wullfire
amang the aises
...glowein puppies




after the wildfire
among the ashes
...glowing poppies

Wednesday, August 07, 2019

heich watter
sin an leaf freckilt
...stoorin pyot




high water
sun and leaf dappled
...galloping piebald

Monday, August 05, 2019

blues i the err  -
a lazy bummer healds
intae the flooer's tooter




blues in the air  -
a lazy bee leans
into the flower's trumpet

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

laid aff
he hunkers
happin a bottle o drames




redundant
he sits
nursing a bottle of dreams

Sunday, July 28, 2019

efter the blowster
sparks dreepin reid
frae the aipples




after the storm
raindrops dripping red
from the apples

Saturday, July 27, 2019

thunner
lichtnin  -
a bedraigilt bummer




thunder
lightning  -
a bedraggled bee

Thursday, July 25, 2019

her fite communion dress
her gowden powny-tail
...a lit caunle




her white communion dress
her golden pony-tail
...a lit candle

Monday, July 15, 2019

auld hern gane  -
anely's keech
on the watterside bowder




old heron gone  -
only his droppings
on the riverside boulder

Friday, July 12, 2019

thunner-plump  -
auld cundie gluggin
...soond o droonin




thunderstorm  -
old drain gurgling
...sound of drowing




Wednesday, July 10, 2019

a daith ilka meenit -
crans
skiff the burn




a death every minute  -
swifts
skim the stream

Tuesday, July 09, 2019

a skelloch
i the nicht  -
a gnap oot o the muin




a scream
in the night  -
a bite out of the moon

Monday, July 08, 2019

on the waashin-line
his superman outfit
...mither kens best




on the washing-line
his superman suit
...mother knows best
wi yin inbraith
hern concertinas
frae dowdie tae eligant




with one inbreath
heron  concertinas
from ragged to elegant

Thursday, June 27, 2019

droont skwurrel 
it's dreepin tail
aw equal-aqual waasht oot




drowned squirrel 
it's dripping tail
all balance washed out


Tuesday, June 25, 2019

efter the fluid
the deuk
hunts fir'ts bairns




after the flood
the duck
searches for its young ones

Saturday, June 22, 2019

midnicht drouthie
braigin:  muin an gin
hae lenthent his sheddae




midnight drunk
challenging:  moon and gin
have lengthened his shadow

Sunday, June 16, 2019

it yon age nou:
waukenin i the nicht
chackin ilk ither's braith




at that age now:
waking in the night
checking each others breathing
muin
an firs  -
a neb ahint baurs




moon
and pines  -
a face behind bars

Wednesday, June 12, 2019

maggie's
cheevy ilk ither
on the ootdoor chess brod




magpies
chase each other
on the outdoor chess board
beekin  -
aw day twa robins:
thayr reid breists




sunbathing  -
all day two robins:
their red breasts

Tuesday, June 11, 2019

they waff tae ilk ither
frae flooerless gairdens:
twa weedie-men




they wave to each other
from flowerless gardens:
two widowers

Saturday, June 01, 2019

crans'r back  -
'blaw affs'
skirl the maws




swifts are back  -
'show offs'
scream the gulls

Friday, May 31, 2019

tentie
o the puils'n'sweels
...the watter's life




watching
the pools and eddies
...the river's life

on the gairden yett
a sheeny new haunle
...snail




on the garden gate
a shiny new handle
...snail

Tuesday, May 28, 2019

laid back in a bowe- cheer
throuch the winnock
a crescent muin




laid back in an armchair
through the window
a crescent moon

Friday, May 24, 2019

sinlicht throuch
the acer's leaves
...a peerie lassie's blushes




sunlight through
the acer's leaves
...a little girl's blushes

Tuesday, May 21, 2019

doon it the mou
he hunkers wi the swans
govein it the waater





depressed
he sits with the swans
watching the water

Monday, May 20, 2019

ablow
the stane angel
a stoppit watch




below
the stone angel
a stopped watch

Wednesday, May 15, 2019

twa craws
heidin hamewarts
cairryin nest plenishins




two crows
heading homeward
carrying nest furnishings

Saturday, May 11, 2019

swans doverin
amang pish-the-bed puff baws
...skailt fedders




swans asleep
among dandelion puff balls
...scattered feathers


Tuesday, May 07, 2019

helterin-skelterin
loopin the loop  -
carnival o crans




heltering-skeltering
looping the loop  -
carnival of swifts

Monday, May 06, 2019

bi the suicide tree
the daffins hae dee'd
...til neist voar




by the suicide tree
the daffodils have died
...until next spring

Wednesday, May 01, 2019

bygaun jyle van
its derk winnocks
...winnocks o the sowl




passing prison van
its dark windows
...windows of the soul
it the hustins
a shooer o gean flourish
...his rose-tintit glesses




at the hustings a
shower of cherry blossom
...his rose-tinted glasses

Saturday, April 27, 2019

liggin on'r
lik a luver
attercap devoors the moch




lying on her
like a luver
spider devours the moth

Thursday, April 25, 2019

swan doverin  -
heid buirit i the swan's-doun
o'r sel






swan asleep -
head buried in the swan's-down
of herself

Sunday, April 21, 2019

Pace  -
the lamm
dale't aboot




Easter  -
sharing
the lamb

Friday, April 19, 2019

cheevyin maggie awa
craws heich-five
wi thair nebs




chasing magpie away
crows high-five
with their beaks

Wednesday, April 17, 2019

a bygaun train
the fisher waffs
...nebs heize tae the winnock




a passing train
the fisherman waves
...faces rise to the window

Monday, April 15, 2019

nestin time  -
the hedgeraw
queeverin




nesting time  -
the hedgerow
quivering

Friday, April 12, 2019

delicat pink
as lips
apenin gowan




delicate pink
as lips
opening daisy

Wednesday, April 10, 2019

bi the watterside
craw dooks intae itsel
...mornin meditation




by the waterside
crow dips into itself
...morning meditation

Tuesday, April 09, 2019

granfaither's croft  -
aye thair bi the cludgie wa
the doucest groset buss




grandad's croft  -
still there by the privy wall
the sweetest gooseberry bush
bygane geese honk  -
a bodach swithers
it the crib-stane




passing geese honk  -
an old man hesitates
at the kerbside

Thursday, April 04, 2019

weet thrabs on'r umberellae
we daunce roond dubs
...drum boogie




rain beats on her umbrella
we dance around puddles
...drum boogie

Tuesday, April 02, 2019

princes street  -
aw thae buddhas
cors-legit in door-cheeks




princes street  -
all these Buddha's
cross-legged in doorways





Friday, March 29, 2019

bellum frae the nursery  -
a bygaun bleckie
...wirms weiglin




noise from the nursery  -
a passing blackbird
...worms wriggling

Tuesday, March 26, 2019

dookin an heizin
swans kythin
...luver's kinch




dipping and rising
swans displaying
...lover's knot

Saturday, March 23, 2019

lichtenin the mornin  -
sax jazzchiels
...aw deid




lightening the morning  -
six jazzmen
...all dead

Wednesday, March 20, 2019

amang the pansies
a tortieshall butterie
bein a flooer




among the pansies
a tortoiseshell butterfly
being a flower
butterie
follaein
the daffin steid




butterfly
following
the daffodil path

Tuesday, March 19, 2019

the aik's brainch
peelt
...breidth o a raip




the oak's branch
rubbed bare
...width of a rope

Thursday, March 14, 2019

croonin
telegraph wires
...kintra busker




singing
telegraph wires
...country busker

Sunday, March 03, 2019

hame frae nicht-shift  -
sclimin intae
her tosie indent




home from night-shift  -
climbing into
her warm indent

Thursday, February 28, 2019

new keekin-gless  -
yon bodach
aye thayr




new mirror  -
that old man
still there

Tuesday, February 26, 2019

Alzheimer's  -  she hunkers
tentie o the gowk knock
...an thayr'r tears




Alzheimer's  -  she sits
watching the cuckoo clock
...and there are tears

Friday, February 22, 2019

deep i the wuids
a bob o daffins
ringit roon wi caunles




deep in the woods
a bunch of daffodils
surrounded by candles

Thursday, February 21, 2019

bumbazed butterie
reengin fir flooers
in februar




bewildered butterfly
searching for flowers
in february
stoorin
tae schuil  -
snawdrap bells shooglin




rushing
to school  -
snowdrop bells shaking

Wednesday, February 20, 2019

he greits fir geegaws  -
in damascus
bairns daff wi stanes




he cries for toys  -
in damascus
children play with stones

Tuesday, February 19, 2019

in a quate puil
unnerwatter
craws




in a still pool
underwater
crows
hunkerin on the ledging
wi the maws
...govein




sitting on the parapet
with the gulls
...gazing

Friday, February 15, 2019

yin day thay'll threep:
he maun be deid  -
ma dug-daunerin feres




one day they will say:
he must be dead  -
my dog-walking friends

Thursday, February 14, 2019

twa swans preein  -
it's valentine's day
fir thaim an aw




two swans necking  -
it's valentine's day
for them also



Monday, February 11, 2019

granfaither's
hingower dander
...gled it's blowstery




grandfather's
hangover walk
...glad its windy

Friday, February 08, 2019

nicht vaig  -
reengin wavebaunds
...stern threep




night journey  -
searching wavebands
...star talk

Thursday, February 07, 2019

Italian waashday  -
heich i the vennel
flags o'r breeks




Italian washday  -
high in the alley
flags of her underwear

Wednesday, February 06, 2019

ill tid gane
i the freeth
o daffin otters




depression gone
in the froth
of otters at play

Saturday, February 02, 2019

furst snaw  -
derk ink o the burn
...haiku on the page




first snow  -
dark ink of the stream
...haiku on the page

Thursday, January 31, 2019

a hirplin chiel
amang the craws
...aw sweein in hermony




a limping man
among the crows
...all swaying in harmony

Sunday, January 27, 2019

batteries
fir ma shaver
...the years faw awa




batteries
for my shaver
...the years fall away

Saturday, January 26, 2019

oor auld pictur hoose
nou a 'steak hoose'
... an the bluid is real




our old cinema
now a 'steak house'
..and the blood is real

Wednesday, January 23, 2019

hame frae Mass
flauchts on her lips
...crottles o the host




home from Mass
snowflakes on her lips
...crumbs of the host

Friday, January 18, 2019

suddent freest  -
awwhaur
dubs' glerelit een




sudden frost  -
everywhere
puddles' glazed eyes

Thursday, January 17, 2019

heich on a lum
maw
skewin's ain style o blues




high on a chimney
gull
bending his own style of blues

Friday, January 11, 2019

roon the flooer staund
the cheetlin
o mucklemercat tills




round the flower stand
the chirping
of supermarket tills

Thursday, January 10, 2019

ootby the pairlament
e'en the corbies
bowkin abuiss




outside the parliament
even the crows
spewing abuse

Sunday, January 06, 2019

new hearkenin-aid  -
ma pish
tinkles




new hearing-aid  -
my urine
tinkles

Friday, January 04, 2019

fleetin yill bottle
wund athort the neck
...peerie tugboat




floating beer bottle
wind across the neck
...little tugboat