kirstenin -
the bairn an the watter
groozlin thegither




christening -
the baby and the water
gurgling together

catchit i the pent
a peerie flee - its weeng
glentin i the licht




caught in the paint
a tiny fly - its wing
flashing in the light

tuim playgrun -
leaves rowin ower
the peever beds




empty playground -
leaves rolling over
the hopscotch beds

the maggie haps
frae brainch tae brainch -
the bodachs daffin at chess




the magpie hops
from branch to branch -
the old men playing chess

in the bucket
amang the yill bottles -
a hairst muin




in the dustbin
among the beer bottles -
a harvest moon

frae door tae door -
the postie
the craw




from door to door -
the postman
the crow


(for my grandmother who thought a bird at the window
was a harbinger of bad news)

snell mornin
the bairns' reid nebs -
hollin-berries tae




cold morning
the childrens' red faces -
holly-berries too

leaves
the colour o deuks' nebs -
amang the deuks' nebs




leaves
the colour of ducks' bills -
among the ducks' bills

his wab
spreids athort the winnock -
blinterin colours




his web
spreads across the window -
flickering colours

a hinmaist leam o sin -
a wesp beeks's feet
on the letterbox




a last ray of sun -
a wasp warms his feet
on the letterbox

screedin aff
the poor's-hoose makar -
a bog corses the page




reading aloud
the skid row poet -
a bug crosses the page

(for Buk)

in the yin sinny cheer -
tentie o the oam's
cheengin pattrens




in the one sunny chair -
watching the condensation's
changing patterns

untouchit brummles
glister -
naebodie cums




untouched brambles
glitter -
no one comes

keek o day -
the postie's reid bag
boabbin




sunrise -
the postman's red bag
bobbing

hail-water -
snail in's glore
steeks oot's chist




torrential rain -
snail in his element
sticks out his chest

the drouthie's gairden -
twa reid aipples gove
at the bleck-ee'd susan




the drunkard's garden -
two red apples stare
at the black-eyed susan

on her hunkers
settin oot neist year's bulbs -
the cailleach




on her knees
planting next year's bulbs -
the old lady

a hinmaist koi yirdit -
anely sheddaes nou
in the dub




a last koi buried -
only shadows now
in the pond

hairst wund -
a lang wab-threid
pits oot fause news




autumn wind -
a long web-thread
sends false messages

biggin a shrine
Reid Rab tentie -
the verra dab...sum reid!




building a shrine
a robin watches -
just what's needed...some red!

hairst jeel
a lane cran snokes -
no sae monie jinks an jouks




autumn chill
a lone swift hunts -
not so many twists and turns

tree's sheddae
hings on the cunyie -
growein shilpit




tree's shadow
leans on the corner -
growing thin

5 am. glowers
throuch the knock's gless -
maws skirlin





5 am. stares
through the clock's glass -
gulls screaming

in a dub o licht
leaves slawly lair -
mennens tak tent




in a pool of light
leaves slowly submerge -
minnows watch

leaves hauf-green
hauf-yalla -
a'whaur hairst's flag




leaves half-green
half-yellow -
everywhere autumn's flag

furst hairst wunds -
the gairden
chitters an shaks




first autumn winds -
the garden
shivers and shakes

the cailleach
joukin an jinkin -
conkers fawin




the old lady
ducking and dodging -
chestnuts falling

grown-up gairden
lavender progs throuch the palin -
wints slaikin




overgrown garden
lavender pokes through the fence -
wants caressing

yin lowe
i the gairden bouet's gless:
Rose o Sharon




one flame
in the garden lantern's glass:
Rose Of Sharon

jazz clarinet -
a bleck butterie
daunces roon the wireless




jazz clarinet -
a black butterfly
dances round the radio

wuidcarver's shoppie
waffin o pine
...his gurlie hauns




woodcarver's shop
smelling of pine
...his gnarled hands

drapt rosary
snaggit on a breer -
a drap o bluid




dropped rosary
caught on a thorn -
a drop of blood

twa flees on her airm
ill-daein -
mornin glories apen- mou'd




two flies on her arm
being naughty -
morning glories open-mouthed

yin scuip o ice-cream -
in the siller spuin
licht o a hairst muin




one scoop of ice-cream -
in the silver spoon
light of a harvest moon

lik the aipples
reid chaftit:
ower muckle wine




like the apples
red cheeked:
too much wine

drumlie
muin-leukin hindert -
mak dae wi schnapps




cloudy
moon-viewing cancelled -
make do with schnapps

fleitin
athort a fou muin -
the deid koi




floating
across a full moon -
the dead koi

flee cannae heave up
frae the flair -
skailt brandy




fly can't rise up
from the floor -
spilt brandy

a backgrun
o blues -
cluds improvisin




a background
of blues -
clouds improvising