zen speug

2012-01-31T14:17:00.000-08:00

artic wunds -
reid rab
wi's reid gravat

artic winds -
robin
with his red scarf

2012-01-26T14:46:00.000-08:00

Bethlehem bairns
daff at bools
glowert at throuch corsherrs

Bethlehem children
play marbles
watched through crosshairs

2012-01-08T07:16:00.000-08:00

fou muin -
the blin chiel's crummock
proggin

full moon -
the blind man's stick
probing

2012-01-05T00:36:00.000-08:00

bi the blawn-doon
T.V. aerial
snail - his antenny proggin

by the blown-down
T.V. aerial
snail - his antenna probing

2011-12-28T03:24:00.000-08:00

blowster -
'guid mornin' smirk
blawn awa

Gale -
'good morning' smile
blown away

2011-12-26T15:37:00.000-08:00

tai chi
poussin tuimness
...sweetin

tai chi
pushing emptiness
...sweating

2011-12-20T14:50:00.000-08:00

heelster-gowdie
on the sliddery plainstanes -
daikert bleck an blae

head-over-heels
on the icy pavement -
decorated black and blue

2011-12-14T02:44:00.000-08:00

blue bonnet -
wappin
amang the eeshogels

bluetit -
enormous
amongst the icicles

2011-12-10T02:23:00.001-08:00

trauchlin hame -
derk muins o'r crummock
i the snaw

trudging home -
dark moons of her walking stick
in the snow

2011-12-08T02:31:00.000-08:00

skirlin skech -
auld maw
tint his sey-shanks

screaming scavenger -
old gull
lost his sea-legs

2011-11-30T06:34:00.000-08:00

midnicht express
pewlin
...teuk a fere tae heiven

midnight express
wailing
...took a friend to heaven

2011-11-28T15:21:00.000-08:00

the muezzin crys -
awbody taks on
the set o incaain

the muezzin calls -
everybody assumes
the shape of prayer

2011-11-24T07:45:00.000-08:00

the cailleach
hauns cuppin the quaich
...curlt hairst leaves

the old lady
hands cupping the chalice
...curled autumnal leaves

2011-11-23T03:11:00.000-08:00

For some time I have greatly enjoyed the haiku of the New York Haijin: Jack Galmitz
I was thrilled when Jack asked me if I'd translate some of his stuff, so here we go enjoy!
---------------------------------------

an abandoned lot: weeds tall as men, a shopping cart

a forleetit larach: growthe heich as chiels, a message cairt

an abandoned lot: a water-stained mattress, goldenrod

a forleetit larach: a watter-staint mattrass, gowdenrod

an abandoned lot: Trees of Heaven, auto parts

a forleetit larach: Treen o Heiven, caur brock

an abandoned lot: a large cardboard carton, a cooking pot

a forleetit larach: a muckle cairdboard cairton, a kettle

the moon knows not what it is I'm looking at

the muin disnae ken whit it is am leukin till

2011-11-18T00:39:00.000-08:00

dryin nets -
maws drift athort
... a slaw gemme o the dabs

drying nets -
gulls drift across
... a slow game of draughts

2011-11-17T00:39:00.000-08:00

ten snarls in a towe:
the gangrel wifie's
rosary

ten knots in a string:
the bag-lady's
rosary

2011-11-11T03:20:00.000-08:00

armistice day -
scuil bairns set aff bulbs
...derk trenches

armistice day -
school children plant bulbs
...dark trenches

2011-11-05T01:25:00.000-07:00

lang vaig -
she wyves the miles intae
a granbairn's shawlie

long journey -
she crochets the miles into
a grandchild's shawl

2011-11-05T01:20:00.001-07:00

cairryin
a posie o petals:
wund roond the kirk

carrying
a bouquet of petals:
wind round the church

2011-10-26T15:09:00.000-07:00

a scarlet dawin -
reid rab sits
refleckin

a scarlet dawn -
the robin sits
reflecting

2011-10-25T05:14:00.000-07:00

craws -
hairst's door sneckin
on roostie baunds

crows -
autumn's door closing
on rusty hinges

2011-10-25T00:36:00.000-07:00

the yirth heizin
in derk swaws -
wunter plooin

the earth rising
in dark waves -
winter ploughing

2011-10-19T02:42:00.000-07:00

skwurrel
tuimin the burd-brod
settin aff a puggie nut ferm

squirrel
emptying the bird-table
planting a peanut farm

2011-10-16T16:04:00.000-07:00

denner
i the gairden
maggie Maitre d'

lunch
in the garden
magpie Maitre d'

2011-10-08T16:05:00.000-07:00

747 fleein in
laich ower watter
...sheddae o a sherk

747 flying in
low over water
...shadow of a shark

2011-10-06T05:43:00.000-07:00

mercat day -
the deid grumphie
smirkin

market day -
the dead pig
smiling

2011-09-22T02:50:00.000-07:00

a leaf faws -
chitterin sweels
on the burn

a leaf falls -
shivering circles
on the stream

2011-09-18T15:26:00.000-07:00

blawin bibbles -
on mither's chaft
preeins brustin

blowing bubbles -
on mother's cheek
kisses bursting

2011-09-13T15:58:00.001-07:00

hairst mornin -
weet dancin
on the dubs

autumn morning -
rain dancing
on the puddles

2011-09-05T02:42:00.000-07:00

hame, trailin slammachs -
Wordsworth
trauchilt cluds

home, trailing spiders' webs -
Wordsworth
trailed clouds

2011-08-24T06:26:00.000-07:00

the auld scuil steekit -
anely the bummers
murmellin a lesson

the old school closed -
only the bees
murmuring a lesson

2011-08-19T03:06:00.000-07:00

rose petals spreidin
at the feet
o the hairst bride

rose petals spreading
at the feet
of the autumn bride

2011-08-16T02:29:00.000-07:00

awa frae the stramash
the burn
threips tae me

away from the riots
the stream
talks to me

2011-08-05T01:59:00.000-07:00

dischairged sodger
stravaigs the causeys
stappin anely on the crecks

discharged soldier
wanders the streets
stepping only on the cracks

2011-08-04T01:37:00.000-07:00

herbour dauner -
the mornin's drave
gawkin at the lan

harbour stroll -
the morning's catch
staring at the land

2011-08-02T06:27:00.000-07:00

a haun muives
i the aul-warl shop winnock
swappin centuries

a hand moves
in the antique - shop window
swopping centuries

2011-08-01T06:17:00.001-07:00

abuin the spire
the sin
...sinflooer

above the spire
the sun
...sunflower

2011-07-23T15:56:00.000-07:00

geeglin frae
the gairden pairty - bummers
ligg stappit wi nectar

giggling
from the garden party -
bees lie sated with nectar

2011-07-22T14:07:00.000-07:00

flichterin
in'r glesses
pages o a thriller

flickering
in her glasses
pages of a thriller

2011-07-15T03:05:00.001-07:00

the bodach -
his dug
daunerin'm

the old man -
his dog
walking him

2011-07-11T02:47:00.000-07:00

maisic rant
weet
ruffin on the tent

music festival
rain
drumming on the tent

2011-07-02T02:53:00.000-07:00

yella gowans
lip-fou
o sinlicht

buttercups
brimming
with sunlight

2011-06-30T14:14:00.000-07:00

nebs tae the sin -
faither mither bairns
gowans

faces to the sun -
father mother children
daisies

2011-06-28T02:50:00.000-07:00

sheddae o's dreepin stug -
hern bydin
fir the cygnets

shadow of his dripping spike -
heron waiting
for the cygnets

2011-06-11T05:02:00.000-07:00

chyngin o the gaird
a ballet
in reid

changing of the guard
a ballet
in red

2011-06-08T02:34:00.000-07:00

i the gairden
the bleckie dillin
the bodach's lanesomeness

in the garden
the blackbird soothing
the old man's loneliness

2011-06-03T08:22:00.000-07:00

efter the yowe-trummle -
the braes
fou o mean ghaists

after the sheep-shearing -
the hills
full of angular ghosts

2011-06-03T05:23:00.000-07:00

weirin neebors -
throuch the palin a rose
offerin itsel

warring neighbours -
through the fence a rose
offering itself

2011-06-02T07:58:00.000-07:00

yokit on bi a gang
o speuggies - maggie
draps a fite fedder

mugged by a gang
of sparrows - magpie
drops a white feather

2011-05-26T02:28:00.000-07:00

Voar ferr -
crans
ding-dangin

Spring fair -
swifts
helter-skeltering

2011-05-25T03:28:00.000-07:00

ahint the graffitied waa:
the kirk's lown
unscufft...unscuffable

behind the graffitied wall:
the church's silence
untouched...untouchable

2011-05-23T02:00:00.000-07:00

tick tock...
the bombed bairn
pendles on's stilts

tick tock...
the bombed child
pendulums on his crutches

2011-05-18T02:34:00.000-07:00

monks
cleedit in fite
pensefu caunles

monks
robed in white
wistful candles

2011-05-17T03:32:00.000-07:00

amang the bleck swans
yin fite yin
muin an cluds

among the black swans
one white one
moon and clouds

2011-05-11T03:13:00.000-07:00

day-daw cushat,
eenin bleckie - an atween:
The Magnificat

dawn wood-pigeon,
evening blackbird - and between:
The Magnificat

(Clare priory pilgrimage)

2011-05-02T12:07:00.000-07:00

maw -
the fite kinches
o's cantrips

gull -
the white loops
of his antics

2011-04-27T02:48:00.000-07:00

the auld clishmaclaver -
her mools
narrest the squaiky yett

the old gossip -
her grave
nearest the squeaky gate

2011-04-23T04:24:00.000-07:00

the day I glisked
the yalla gowan's ghaist
afore it sauntit

today I glimpsed
the dandelion's ghost
before it disappeared

2011-04-21T03:43:00.000-07:00

i the priest's gairden
Easter robes
o the fite haw-tree

in the priest's garden
Easter robes
of white hawthorn

2011-04-21T02:33:00.000-07:00

alang the burnside
Lenten robes
o purpie lilyoak

along the riverside
Lenten robes
of purple lilac

2011-04-20T02:47:00.000-07:00

spadesfou o yirth
lowpin frae a bore -
sang o the hoddit chiel

shovelsfull of earth
leaping from a hole -
song of the unseen man

2011-04-18T07:23:00.000-07:00

his hameless chiel's neb
hauns threipin tae Goad
the towe streetchin tae heiven

his homeless man's face
hands talking to God
the rope stretching to heaven

(St John Ogilivie by Peter Howson)

2011-04-15T02:28:00.001-07:00

fooneral mornin -
maws wauken me
wi thair greitin

funeral morning -
gulls waken me
with their keening

2011-04-12T05:40:00.000-07:00

amang the gean tree's
tosie petals
bummers rhapsodize

among the cherry tree's
warm petals
bees rhapsodize

2011-04-07T02:42:00.000-07:00

sauch primpin in green -
oot ower the lugs
i the burn's keekin-gless

willow dressing in green -
absorbed
in the stream's looking-glass

2011-04-05T02:39:00.000-07:00

camellia flourishin -
a hunner craigs
souchin

camellia blossoming -
a hundred throats
singing

2011-04-03T14:53:00.000-07:00

the claggie spreid
o faw'n fegs - wesps
deein clean awa wi't

the sticky spread
of fallen figs - wasps
dying ecstatically

2011-03-28T06:22:00.000-07:00

daffins
gien as a mindin -
lowe fir days

daffodils
given as a gift -
glow for days

2011-03-23T03:37:00.000-07:00

watterside forsythia:
lichtin
unnerwatter coves

riverside forsythia:
lighting
underwater caverns

2011-03-23T03:33:00.000-07:00

buttery
hings abuin ma apen buik
...flutherin pages

butterfly hovers
above my open book
...fluttering pages

2011-03-17T04:00:00.000-07:00

ristin efter chemo
he reflecks:
the gairden's sheeny buds

resting after chemo
he ponders:
the garden's shiny buds

2011-03-16T09:33:00.000-07:00

the mornin
souchs voar
awthing swalls

the morning
breathes spring
everything swells

2011-03-14T05:20:00.000-07:00

raxin owre
the bealin watters
a brainch o bricht gean buds

stretching over
the raging waters
a branch of bright cherry buds

(for japan's sadness)

2011-03-08T02:34:00.000-08:00

mornin tirl -
the wino's tuim bottle
girnin

morning breeze -
the wino's empty bottle
moaning

2011-03-07T05:58:00.001-08:00

bleck bawdrons
skews tae leuk -
yalla o daffins

black cat
turns to look -
yellow of daffodils

2011-03-04T05:08:00.000-08:00

snell merch wund -
aw airts
the green stobs o voar

bitter march wind -
everywhere
the green spikes of spring

2011-02-28T02:40:00.000-08:00

ablow the brig
a lown puil - a dauner
intae the pictur

below the bridge
a still pool - I wander
into the picture

2011-02-24T03:08:00.000-08:00

furst gran-bairn -
balloons leasht tae the yett
...swellt chists

first grandchild -
balloons tied to the gate
...swollen chests

2011-02-20T15:13:00.000-08:00

i the birk's
bricht brainches a craw's nest:
derk slum

in the birch's
bright branches a crow's nest:
dark slum

2011-02-18T02:35:00.000-08:00

voar mornin -
the hedge
chirms fir aw'ts wirth

spring morning -
the hedge
sings for all its worth

2011-02-16T00:51:00.000-08:00

the auld fushwife
sits steekin -
her siller needle dertin

the old fishwife
sits sewing -
her silver needle darting

2011-02-14T04:06:00.000-08:00

valentine's day -
a furst daffin
apens its hert

valentine's day -
a first daffodil
opens its heart

2011-02-10T03:17:00.000-08:00

oot frae the x-ray dept.
intae the sin
...an apened flooer

out from the x-ray dept.
into the sun
...an opened flower

2011-02-08T02:30:00.000-08:00

linn -
throuch the pearl's rouk
the bodach skews

waterfall -
through the cataract's mist
the old man squints

2011-02-05T02:36:00.000-08:00

chitterin
amang the snawdraps:
the coot's bunt

flickering
among the snowdrops:
the coot's tail

2011-02-03T02:35:00.000-08:00

'plowp'
o a stane drapt
...whaur the makar gaed ablow

'plop'
of a stone dropped
...where the poet went under

2011-02-03T00:29:00.000-08:00

lichtnin
laggin
on the snawdraps

lightning
lingering
on the snowdrops

2011-02-01T06:05:00.000-08:00

twa craws
dice up ilk ither:
graithin fir voar

two crows
preen each other:
dressing for spring

2011-01-26T02:40:00.000-08:00

faither's but-an-ben
aw sticks an staves -
fusslin i the wund

father's cottage
in ruins -
whistling in the wind

2011-01-25T02:28:00.000-08:00

weir-riven ceetie -
oot ower the flagpole
maw spreids'r fite weengs

war-torn city -
on top of the flagpole
gull spreads her white wings

2011-01-24T15:03:00.000-08:00

in yin ivvergreen
backlan:
maggis,craws,bleckies,maws

in one evergreen
tenement:
magpies,crows,blackbirds,gulls

2011-01-24T05:38:00.000-08:00

tapsalteerie blue bonnet
tentie
o the tapsalteerie makar

upsidedown blue tit
watching
the upsidedown poet

2011-01-21T15:45:00.000-08:00

fou muin -
licht
at the en o the cundie

full moon -
light
at the end of the tunnel

2011-01-19T00:57:00.000-08:00

wund throuch
the bombed-oot hames -
dowie chanter

wind through
the bombed-out homes -
sad flute

2011-01-17T15:25:00.000-08:00

the bodach
hirples alang -
bonnie kirstals growe in's bluid

the old man
hobbles along -
beautiful crystals grow in his blood

2011-01-16T07:34:00.000-08:00

cluds,
wund wirkit
...thunner o cluifs

clouds,
wind herded
...thunder of hooves

2011-01-15T04:37:00.000-08:00

en
o a vaige upstream:
speirins o a hamecomin

end
of a journey upstream:
news of a birth

2011-01-11T02:53:00.000-08:00

throu the fooneral:
the soun o mizzlin frost
jynin the muckle burn

during the funeral:
the sound of melting ice
joining the great stream

2011-01-10T03:00:00.000-08:00

kirk swaree -
the crippilt cailleach
dauncin

church social -
the crippled lady
dancing

2011-01-05T00:53:00.000-08:00

wunter lift
panderin
amang the firs

winter sky
drifting
amongst the pines