hallae e'en
pilkin beetroot:
bluid-colourt hauns




halloween
peeling beetroot:
blood-coloured hands

aipple-tree brainches
mair nakit -
aipples growein reidder




apple-tree branches
more naked -
apples growing redder

hairst mornin -
maple leaves
on a gean tree




autumn morning -
maple leaves
on a cherry tree

ruggin the hingers
reid rab settin on the stroop -
furst Yule caird




drawing the curtains
a robin sits on the pump -
first Christmas card

the hail orchard
shakkin -
skwurrels a'where




the whole orchard
shaking -
sqirrels everywhere

the pail muives aff -
a bleckie yitters
on the tuim burd-table




the hearse moves off -
a blackbird chatters
on the empty bird-table

mids the burdsang
craw twangs sumthin's intimmers
oot frae the taur




amidst the birdsong
crow twangs something's intestines
out from the tar

amang the leaves
a fedder -
dichtit smeeth bi arctic wunds




among the leaves
a feather -
brushed smooth by arctic winds

beekin thair hauns
at the bleeze
...reid maple leaves spreid




warming their hands
at the bonfire
...red maple leaves spread

the bodach
hauds oot the wanits -
runkilt broon hauns




the old man
holds out the walnuts -
wrinkled brown hands

fitba pitch merkit oot:
stents o the gemme -
owerheid a bomber souchs




football field marked out:
grids of the game -
overhead a bomber drones

toon sirens skirl -
a fou muin agane
...ayewis smirkin




city sirens scream -
a full moon again
...always smiling

sauch leaves fawin -
oor lest
fareweels




willow leaves falling -
our last
farewells



(for padres Ron and E.J. of chicago)

coortin kipple
a coffee atween thaim -
stame heavin




young lovers
a coffee between them -
steam rising

throuch the nicht
the wund -
leaves scartin the causey




through the night
the wind -
leaves scratching the sidewalk

leaves tummlin
the aipples byde
...reid-chaftit bairns fuffin




leaves falling
the apples remain
...red-cheeked children puffing

on a stob
a craw tentie -
fite burds abuin the kirk




on a post
a crow watching -
white birds above the church

afore licht
afore burdsang -
the monastery bell




before light
before birdsong -
the monastery bell

the maisic
o cuit-deep leaves -
a fou muin keeks oot




the music
of ankle-deep leaves -
a full moon peeps out

cocktail pairty -
a peerie moch wyvein
wearyin ilka ane




cocktail party -
a tiny moth weaving
annoying everyone

in the sin
streekin a gentie spyog -
the monastery bawdrons




in the sun
stretching an elegant leg -
the monastery cat

the Angelus bell -
twa butteries jine us
...syne a bummer




the Angelus bell -
two butterflies join us
...and then a bee

mornin incaains -
the cushats' cheetlin
throuch the cloisters




morning prayers -
the wood-pigeons' warbling
through the cloisters

freesty mornin -
oot frae a jaur
the rizzard lavender's blae braith




frosty morning -
out from a jar
the dried lavender's blue breath

a flee slawly
corses the lozen -
we skair its hinmaist day




a fly slowly
crosses the pane -
we share its last day

the bodach
heelds on's besom -
yin hinmaist leaf tae faw




the old man
leans on his brush -
one last leaf to fall


(for Tom)

a faw'n petal
weet dings on't -
its reidness




a fallen petal
rain beats on it -
its redness

aneath the nicht's
bricht constellations -
snail's siller fuit-prents




beneath the night's
bright constellations -
snail's silver foot-prints

his shuin
left oot aw nicht -
fou o leaves




his shoes
left out all night -
full of leaves

anither yirdin -
sin blinters on the spaiks
o a birlin trinnle




another funeral -
sun glitters on the spokes
of a turning wheel

abuin the burn
maws skirlin -
nae breid the day anely leaves




above the stream
gulls screaming -
no bread today only leaves

the hern gants
its neb chizorin the err -
leaves faw aroon'm




the heron yawns
its beak scissoring the air -
leaves fall around him