the deef hoaspital's
fush-tank
thae fush...nae lugs




the hearing clinic's
aquarium
those fish...no ears

craw hoddles
alang the causey
licht sheenin frae's derkness




crow waddles
along the road
light shining from his darkness

in the pictur hoose
a bleck an fite bawdrons
blinters atween the cuits




in the cinema
a black and white cat
flickers between the ankles

makar's yirdin
pipie blaws a coronach
snawdraps' heids hing




poet's funeral
the piper blows a lament
snowdrops' heads hang

(for Hamish Henderson)

on the wund
drucken vices
the muin keeks oot




on the wind
drunken voices
the moon peeps out

snell wuntry days
cailleachs
wi fire-en-tartan legs




cold wintry days
old ladies
with fireside-tartan legs

(fireside-tartan: a blotched pattern
on the legs from sitting too close to the fire)

a lowpin bawdrons
wrocht frae spuins - the airtist
sowps wi's fingers




a leaping cat
made from spoons - the artist
eats with his fingers

on the strand
bricht shalls
pentit tae-nails




on the shore
bright shells
painted toe-nails

the bodach
wi the tattooed heid
weirs's wuiddrames




the old man
with the tattooed head
wears his nightmares

ower coorse tae fush
he blaws scales
on his saxyphone




too stormy to fish
he blows scales
on his saxophone

fitprents i the saun
her taes howkin deeper
whaur he pree'd'r lips




footprints in the sand
her toes digging deeper
where he kissed her

bongoes aneath the muin
a bricht pesos
in a derk waukit luif




bongoes beneath the moon
a bright pesos
in a dark calloused palm

the nicht
the muin an I
smirk at ilk ither




tonight
the moon and I
smile at each other

wunter skeps
peerie herts
i the derkness




winter hives
tiny hearts
in the darkness

in the florist's winnock
a corse-shapit wraith
o voar flooers




in the florist's window
a cruciform wreath
of spring flowers

athort the muin
peerie derk cluds
...drames o buffalo




across the moon
little dark clouds
...dreams of buffalo

blue bonnets
fidgin an yerkin
in thair timorsome warl




blue tits
twitching and jerking
in their nervous world

pussy willows
brustin throuch the brainch
wunter wund in thair herr




pussy willows
bursting through the branch
winter wind in their hair

reddin the geegaws -
the snaw-globe
tootles a pickle spatrils




packing decorations -
the snow-globe
plays a last few notes

global hettin
howkin oot fernyear's
snaw haiku




global warming
digging out last year's
snow haiku

craws daff
at chasie
... nae raison




crows play
at chasing each other
... no reason

tree limbs
liggin aw airts
weirlik natur




tree limbs
lying everywhere
warlike nature

a plowp!
i the dub
baith o's stertilt




a plop!
in the pond
both of us startled

in the vause
amang the flourish
sum flooers byde scandaleesed




in the vase
among the blossom
some flowers remain shocked

kingfisher
delichtin i the sin
...delichts




kingfisher
delighting in the sun
...delights

burn curmurrin
hern
dovers on a clint




stream murmuring
heron
dozes on a rock