Thursday, December 30, 2021

heavin up airlie  -

the muin

aye leanin




rising early  -

the moon

still reclining

Friday, December 17, 2021

Reid Rab

heich on a brainch  -

Yule lights sheen on's breist




robin

high on a branch  -

Christmas lights shine on his breast

Thursday, December 16, 2021

lum uphaud  -

the sclater's bag o graith

his santa bunnet




chimney repair  -

the slater's bag of tools

his santa hat

fawen leaves

mozie myndins

...a fere's dementia




fallen leaves

rotting  memories

...a friend's dementia


Thursday, December 09, 2021

snell mornin  -

hern

hauf its bouk



cold morning  -

heron

half its size

Tuesday, December 07, 2021

freesty nicht  -

sterns abuin

skimmerin unnerfuit




frosty night  -

stars above

shimmering underfoot

Friday, December 03, 2021

shooglie on'r bike

she disnae ken yit

she's on'r ain




wobbly on her bicycle 

she doesn't know yet

she's on her own

Thursday, December 02, 2021

twa weet leaves skitter

doon the clair lozen

...bygaun thochts




two wet leaves slither

down the clear pane

...passing thoughts







Saturday, November 27, 2021


aw nicht

a teirin wund

rivin the toon tae shivereens




all night 

a raging wind 

tearing the town to bits


Wednesday, November 24, 2021

the suicide tree  -

it's brainch

hailt



the suicide tree  -

it's branch

healed





Saturday, November 20, 2021

fawen leaves

pattren the burn

deuks mizzle




fallen leaves

pattern the stream

ducks disappear


Wednesday, November 17, 2021

furst Yule whigmaleeries  -

rodden

          berries




First Christmas baubles  -

rowan

           berries 

Sunday, November 14, 2021

hame frae the circus  

faither ettles tae caum thaim:

selkies, lions, clowns...




home from the circus  

father tries to calm them:

seals, lions, clowns...

Thursday, November 11, 2021

 armistice day

the acer's leaves 

bing




armistice day  -

the acer's leaves

pile up


Wednesday, November 10, 2021

efter ma neebours' cull

the skwurrels hae wun back

tae  kittle ma gairden




after my neighbours' cull

the squirrels have returned

to enliven my garden

Monday, November 08, 2021

a fite bawdrons 

amang the labster-creels  -

fou muin skookin



a white cat

among the lobster-pots  -

full  moon creeping



Saturday, November 06, 2021

fift o November

day o's fooneral

...reek an aises




fifth of November

day of his funeral

...smoke and ashes

Monday, November 01, 2021

 hallowday  -

skeery  pumpkins aye aroond

...skailt sweeties on the causey




All Saints' day  -

scary pumpkins still around

...spilt sweets on the street



streengs hing tuim

 traikle-farls gane

...wutchies an warlocks stappit




strings hang empty

treacle-scones gone

...witches and warlocks sated

Sunday, October 24, 2021

burdsang  -

nivver

a wrang note




birdsong  -

never

a wrong note

Friday, October 22, 2021

deef tae ma 'guid mornin'   -

thay'r tentie

tae the vyces i thayr heids




ignoring my 'good morning'  -

they listen

to the voices in their heads


Thursday, October 14, 2021

hairst  -

the treen

yatterin




autumn  -

the trees

chattering

Sunday, October 10, 2021

hairst  -

bauldie-heidit days

fir the pish-the-beds




autumn  -

bald-headed days

for the dandelions

Monday, October 04, 2021

eildit pleesurs  -

blithe tae hae wurn oot

anither pair o shuin




aged pleasures  -

happy to have worn out

another pair of shoes

Friday, October 01, 2021

gaitherin conkers agane -

twa

octygeranians 




gathering chestnuts again -

two

octogeranians




Ga

Thursday, September 30, 2021

mornin yatter  -

ma neebours clype

...maggies jyne in




morning chatter  -

my neighbours gossip

...magpies join in










Thursday, September 23, 2021

dung doon ceeties  -

tuithit gavel-ens staun

...a deevil's jeegsaw




bombed cities  -

toothed gable-ends stand

...a devil's jigsaw


Saturday, September 18, 2021

dawn chorus  -

the yatter

o the bucket men




dawn chorus  -

the chitchat

of the bin men


Thursday, September 16, 2021

hairst  -

duddie leaves

hing on




autumn  -

tattered leaves

hang on

Wednesday, September 08, 2021

back agane

tae snowk the peat reek

...lowes thit nivver gae oot



back again

to smell the peat smoke

...fires that never go out

hameless  -

doverin aneath the heidline:

IS THERE LIFE ON MARS?




homeless  -

asleep beneath the headline:

IS THERE LIFE ON MARS?

Tuesday, September 07, 2021

sica bonnie lassie  -

her spirlie fingers

cleuks o a draigon tattoo




such a lovely girl  -

her slender fingers

claws of a dragon tattoo

Monday, September 06, 2021

Sunday, September 05, 2021

deid man's bells

a ticht fit

...bummer backs oot slawly




foxglove

a tight fit

...bee reverses out slowly

Saturday, September 04, 2021

arthritic:

his banes runchin

wrochtin thayr ain aises




arthritic:

his bones grinding

making their own ashes

Friday, September 03, 2021

unner the tree

a fawen egg  -

sumhin's sookit oot the sangburd




under the tree

a fallen egg  -

something's sucked out the songbird

Saturday, August 28, 2021

obituary:

...a brush hus

skytit frae the cannas




obituary:

...a brush has

slipped from the canvas


Thursday, August 26, 2021

sneddin ma herr

i the gairden

... haip o thrisseldoon 




cutting my hair

in the garden

...heap of thistledown

Wednesday, August 25, 2021

bydein the licht

sweelt i the hap o'ts sel  -

mornin glory




awaiting the light

wrapped in the blanket of itself  -

morning glory

Tuesday, August 17, 2021

 baurber shewn-up  -

deein o cancer

his thocht's ma herr!




barber closed  -

dying of cancer

his concern's my hair!


(For Sandy)

Monday, August 16, 2021

nIcht veesitors  -

the siller jeegsaw

o snail steids




night visitors  -

the silver jigsaw

of snail tracks

Wednesday, August 11, 2021

lockdoon ower  -

the burn's banjo

new seeds jiggin on the err




lockdown over  -

the stream's banjo

new seeds dancing on the air



Monday, August 09, 2021

yin clap!

an a synchronized soom

o minnons




one clap!

and a sychronized

swim of minnows


Saturday, August 07, 2021

attercaps

it houghmagandie

... snorlie threid




spiders

making love

...knotted thread

Thursday, August 05, 2021

crematorium  -

her sinbrunt

dowie yins




crematorium  -

her sunburnt

mourners


gairden fou

o the brawest jazz jiggers

...butteries




garden full

of the best jazz jivers 

...butterflies

Tuesday, July 27, 2021

lockdoon  -

the day a butterie

gaed by 




lockdown  -

today a butterfly

passed by

college hooses  -

tap flair hained

fir theology scholars?




university flats  -

top floor reserved

for theology students?






Wednesday, July 14, 2021

petal bi petal

the speengie rose

tirls




petal by petal

the peony rose

undresses

Monday, July 12, 2021

clam mornin  -

the wuid souchs oot

a douce braith




damp morning  -

the forest exudes

a sweet breath

Sunday, July 11, 2021

hameless  -  doverin

on the ootdoor chess-brod

...pawn




homeless  -  asleep

on the outdoor chess-board

...pawn

Friday, July 09, 2021

 craws wesh i the burn

maws wesh upstream

...the maggies keckle




crows wash in the stream

gulls wash upstream

...the magpies chortle

Thursday, July 08, 2021

 rescuin a bummer

she feshes me

a bizzin bicker




rescuing a bee

she brings me

a buzzing beaker


Saturday, July 03, 2021

 efter lockdoon

this year's speuggies

dinnae ken whit tae mak o's




after lockdown

this year's sparrows

don't know what to make of us

Sunday, June 27, 2021

 mawin the gairden  -

hauf-cut bummers

amang the sookies




mowing the garden  -

half-cut bees

among the clover heads

Thursday, June 24, 2021

ilka day his carer

helps'm reenge the burn

fir crocodiles




every day his carer

helps him search the stream

for crocodiles



lowst frae lockdoon

the bodach

neb-deep in breer




released from lockdown

the old man

nose-deep in a wild rose

Thursday, June 17, 2021

throuch the kirkyaird

the wund's wae chanter

...a pibroch fir Eilidh




through the churchyard

the wind's sad chanter

...a pibroch for Eilidh


(for Eilidh MacLeod: Barra  killed by terrorists)

heatwave  -

deed in a fur cot

...bummer




heatwave  -

dead in a fur coat

...bee

Wednesday, June 16, 2021

 alang the trackside

wull brummles

...railway jeelie we cried it




along the trackside

wild brambles

...railway jam we called it

Friday, June 04, 2021

gallus i the pandemic  -

his pooches fou

o haly medals




fearless in the pandemic  -

his pockets full

of holy medals

Tuesday, June 01, 2021

swans dunt on the burn  -

twa fedders

panderin




swans bump on the stream  -

two feathers

drfting

Sunday, May 30, 2021

island wedder clype  -

washin rope

semaphore




island weather report  -

washing line

semaphore

Tuesday, May 25, 2021

hebridean gowan  -

sin in a reeng

o cluds




hebridean daisy  -

sun in a ring

of clouds

Monday, May 24, 2021

fite bawdrons

chackin

the creels




white cat

checking

the lobster-pots

bi a roustin anchor

fusherchiels hunker

govein seawarts




by a rusting anchor

fishermen sit

gazing seawards


Wednesday, May 19, 2021

cumulus cluds  

...Reubens'  wummen

hurkin




cumulus clouds  

...Reubens' ladies

lounging


Thursday, May 13, 2021

daith o a priest  -

ablow the saugh swan hunkers

beads faw frae'r neb




death of a priest  -

below the willow swan sits

beads fall from her beak

Monday, May 10, 2021

 covid-19  -

bygaun the beauticians'

 ...tuim keekin glesses glowerin




covid-19  -

passing the beauticians'

...empty mirrors staring










Wednesday, May 05, 2021

juist be!

wi the renuncin

as gean flourish faws




just be!

with the surrender

as cherry blossom falls

Friday, April 30, 2021

 readin i the gairden  -

 bummer's sheddae

... fou stap




reading in the garden  -

bee's shadow

...full stop

.






Wednesday, April 28, 2021

In a snell wund

the tosieness

o gean flourish




in a bitter wind

the warmth

of cherry blossom

Wednesday, April 21, 2021

burds stoor

tae thayr nests

...guis-stappin maggies.




birds race

to their nests

...goose-stepping magpies





Saturday, April 17, 2021

pandemic  -

a tuim cheer

in monie a hame




pandemic  -

an empty chair

in many a home

Friday, April 16, 2021

frae the fitbaw perk

the ref's fussle  -

a bleckie repones




from the football park

the ref's whistle  -

a blackbird answers


Thursday, April 15, 2021

killer i the sinsheen:

bawdrons kids on sloom

aneath the speuggies




killer in the sunshine:

cat feigns sleep

beneath the sparrows

Monday, April 12, 2021

efter Mass

refleckin on the tuim tassie

...fou o sinsheen




after Mass

reflecting on the empty cup

...full of sunshine

on the plainstanes

speuggies hop amang the brainches

in a sheddae warl




on the pavement

sparrows hop among the branches

in a shadow world

Friday, April 02, 2021

Guid friday  -

Reid Rab roon ma feet

its bluid-reid breist




Good friday  -

a robin round my feet

its blood -red breast

Wednesday, March 31, 2021

 suddentlie

the AH!! mament  -

gean flourish




suddenly

the AH!! moment  -

 cherry blossom

Saturday, March 27, 2021

his jab date:

Guid Friday

...the bouk thirlt




his vaccination date:

Good Friday

...the body pierced

Monday, March 22, 2021

furst bummers

souch i the daffins' heids

...voar raga




first bees

drone in the daffodils' heads

...spring raga

Thursday, March 18, 2021

 funeral mornin  -

a bleckie howks a hole

i the seed-bed




funeral morning  -

a blackbird digs a hole

in the seed-bed

Tuesday, March 16, 2021

 the via dolorosa  -

a dozie-heidit bawdrons

retours tae's dwam




the via dolorosa  -

a sleepy-headed cat

returns to his dream

monks

traik  the stations

throuch caunle-lit daffins




monks

walk the stations

through candle-lit daffodils

agane

the reeng

o harebells




again

the ring

of bluebells


Friday, March 12, 2021

taur squad

rained aff  -  a wattergaw

quat on the causey





ashphalt squad

rained off  -  a rainbow

left on the street


Thursday, March 04, 2021

creck o the host

licht sklentin frae the quaich

...sabbath thunnerstorm



crack of the host

light flashing from the chalice

...sunday thunderstorm




Tuesday, March 02, 2021

the cob snecks an plets

the girss  -  she feshes the seed

Intae the wyve




the cob snips and plaits

the grass  -  she fetches the seed

into the weave

Monday, March 01, 2021

faither's waddin reeng

wark wurn  -

inby, twa bricht nems




father's wedding ring

work worn  -

inside, two bright names

the day  

the cheep o a kintra tune

an the years drapt awa




today  

the hint of a country accent

and the years fell away

Friday, February 26, 2021

siller birks

i the wund

...'the divine dance'




silver birches

in the wind

...'the divine dance'

Wednesday, February 24, 2021

rugby gemme  -

mid the breetality o studs

yin bricht crocus




rugby match  -

midst the brutality of studs

one bright crocus

Monday, February 22, 2021

amaryllis  -

tooterin the day

the hid meesterie




amaryllis  -

trumpeting today

the hidden mystery

Saturday, February 20, 2021

new rodwarks  -

a peerie patch o snawdraps

wins oot




new roadworks  -

a tiny patch of snowdrops 

prevail

Thursday, February 18, 2021

on the wunter tree

a flourish

o blue bonnets




on the winter tree

a blossom

of blue tits





Friday, February 12, 2021

blin smoor    -

the swans hae cookit

...til they muive




snow drift  -

the swans have disappeared

...until they move






Thursday, February 11, 2021

ma neebour's tree  -

a trapeze warl

o blue bonnets




my neighbour's tree  -

a trapeze world

of bluetits

laid aff  -

ilka day tentie

o an eeshogel growein




furloughed  -

every day watching

an icicle grow

Wednesday, February 10, 2021

snaw faws ootby  -

the priest sains oor clachan

cleedit in a fite robe




snow falls outside  -

the priest blesses our village

dressed in a white robe

Wednesday, January 27, 2021

 brucken-doon snawmen  -

maggies matin

on een an nebs




broken-down snowmen  -

magpies feeding

on eyes and noses



Monday, January 25, 2021

 weengs spreid 

peened tae the fairmer's palin:

craw's petrine corse




wings spread

pinned to the farmer's fence:

crow's petrine cross

Saturday, January 23, 2021

 jag day  -

throuch the doacter's winnock

eeshogels dreepin




vaccination day  -

through the doctor's window

icicles dripping

Monday, January 18, 2021

 lockdoon  -

the bairnie dirls

the playgrun's yetts




lockdown  -

the toddler rattles

the playground's  gates


Wednesday, January 13, 2021

daw's reid licht  -

hemmerin

frae the smiddy



dawn's red light  -

hammering

from the smithy

swan slips

intae the watter

...ryal barque




swan slips

into the river

...royal barque 

freestit playgrun -

myndin the keekin-gless

wrocht wi tacketie buits




frosted playground  -

remembering the mirror

made with hobnailed boots

Tuesday, January 12, 2021

 the swans it roseburn

keekin throuch the sprots

...aye in lockdoon




the swans at roseburn

peering through the reeds

...still in lockdown