advent caunle:
gied itsel
tae enlichten




advent candle:
gave itself
to enlighten

craws an maws
a skirlin bourach - gin
aw that's left's a maggie




crows and gulls
a screaming melee - until
all that's left's a magpie

athort the perk
a rowed up snawbaw's derk peth
...fou muin




across the field
a rolled up snowball's dark path
...full moon

wrocht frae tides
oor snawman -
the fou muin hus'm heeldin




made from oceans
our snowman -
the full moon has him leaning

perishin kirk -
frae the meenister's mou
ghaists o Yules bygane




freezing church -
from the minister's mouth
ghosts of Christmasses past

wunter waddin -
bride-fite perks,
a bob o hollin berries




winter wedding -
bride-white fields,
a posy of holly berries

bleckie -
frae burd-bath tae burd-bath
fundin anerly snaw




blackbird -
from bird-bath to bird-bath
finding only snow

snawman -
fir craw a mindin:
carrot een




snowman -
for crow a gift:
carrot eyes

bath-watter gurlin
doon the jaw-hole -
the hoose less lanely




bath-water gurgling
down the plug-hole -
the house less lonely

furst onfaw
... seelant
swan




first snowfall
... silent
swan

hoaspice veesitin oor -
agane,
the wappin beds




hospice visiting hour -
again,
the enormous beds

saicont snaw shour -
fouin a jeegsaw's
amissin pairts




second snow shower -
filling a jigsaw's
missing pieces

blinterin lunt -
hure: her neb a
mamentary brichtness




flickering match -
prostitute: her face a
momentary brightness

oot frae jeelin rouk:
a chiel
makkin rouk




out from freezing fog:
a man
making fog

spate quallt -
i the glaur a deid tod
his bunt yin gentie straik




flood abated -
in the mud a dead fox
his tail one elegant stroke

Yule lichts -
on the gean tree
jeelt sparks




Christmas lights -
on the cherry tree
frozen raindrops

furst tae wauken:
liggin hearkenin
tae'r drame




first to waken:
lying listening
to her dream

speirins o a daith -
the nicht the muin an e
baith i thair founess




news of a death -
tonight the moon and he
both in their fullness

fou muin:
preese tae gae intil
the fite gairden




full moon:
press to enter
the white garden

rodside siesta -
sin
amang the leemons




roadside siesta -
sun
among the lemons

ower the kirkyaird waa
a lown sey
boatties at rist




over the churchyard wall
a calm sea
boats at rest

bodachs
gove seywarts -
skimmer i thair een




old men
gaze seawards -
glitter in their eyes

leaves faw
ontae the puil
pianissimo




leaves fall
onto the pool
pianissimo

thair laddie deid
...aye settin the brod
fir threy




their son dead
...still setting the table
for three

tichtenin bowts
oan the ferris wheel:
fankilt skirls lowsit




tightening bolts
on the ferris wheel:
trapped screams freed

Yule treen
daikert - reid
aipples hing i the orchard




Christmas trees
decorated - red
apples hang in the orchard

daunerin oot
wi thair new bairn -
oosie cluds panderin




strolling out
with their new baby -
fluffy clouds drifting

throuch the treen
the wund
threipin an aul sang




through the trees
the wind
telling an old story

tirran's smirk -
glent
o pikit weer




tyrant's smile -
glint
of barbed wire

freest -
follaein a sinblink
throuch skitie causeys




frost -
following a sunbeam
through slippery streets

swans -
twa cailleachs
blether




swans -
two old ladies
gossip

abuin the burn:
troot's
siller simmersets




above the stream:
trout's
silver somersaults

leaves jyne
fern year's leaves -
maitin the ruit




leaves join
last year's leaves -
feeding the root

hallae e'en
ghaist at the winnock
...fou muin




halloween
ghost at the window
...full moon

equinox:
wund belts a drum
sinflooers ligg druckenly




equinox:
wind beats a drum
sunflowers lie drunkenly

brennin leaves -
reek
thratchin




burning leaves -
smoke
writhing

rodden tree
ableeze
...hearkenin fir Goad's vice





rowan tree
ablaze
...listening for God's voice

cluds haud by -
the windae-cleaner
scoors ilk ane




clouds pass by -
the window-cleaner
scrubs each one

wine an watter
fusperin
intae the chalice




wine and water
whispering
into the chalice

tuscan fooneral:
the bell's slaw chord
...dreepin




tuscan funeral:
the bell's slow chord
...dripping

cypresses -
muckle kirk
on the brae




cypresses -
cathedral
on the hill

a belly-rive
o faw'n fegs -
maukies' rhyme




a feast
of fallen figs -
bluebottles' drone

bomb land
roostie girders skewed
hairst treen




bomb site
rusty girders twisted
autumnal trees

oot frae sheddae
swan's glister -
...jeelous day muin




out from shadow
swan's brilliance -
...jealous day moon

tin tooter blues -
a drouthy boaks
intae the troke bucket




tin horn blues -
a drunk vomits
into the litter-bin

dauncin i the err
haun in haun
...lowpin intae heiven




dancing in the air
hand in hand
...jumping into heaven

(for two young girls)

hairst mornin -
racin bawdrons
fir the sinny cheer




autumn morning -
racing cat
for the sunny chair

bodach
in's walkin-frame -
sheddae o an attercap




old man
in his walking-frame -
shadow of a spider

abuin
a wizzent shank
the peerie bairn's smirk




above
a withered stalk
the tiny child's smile

cluds riven -
on the burn
blae cloots




clouds torn apart -
on the stream
blue patches

cicadas
deepenin
the wuid's lown




cicadas
deepening
the forest's silence

(3rd place sketchbook kukai: cicadas)

efter the fleed:
treen hingit
wi fremmit flourish




after the flood:
trees hung
with strange blossom

jazz club
dung doon -
the wund greetin-faced




jazz club
demolished -
the wind moaning

leaf snaggit
on a wab-threid -
hairst draigon




leaf caught
on a web-thread -
autumn kite

brustin throuch a wab:
the postie
bringin uncos




bursting through a web:
the postman
bringing news

efter
the delvin's duin:
furst Reid Rab




after
the digging's done:
a first robin

hingin on blae weengs
the hern draps
intae the makar's mind




hanging on blue wings
the heron drops
into the poet's mind

aff tae weir:
his dwinin set
bouk o a bullet hole




off to war:
his fading shape
size of a bullet hole

i the dentist's
wytin chaumer:
a gawpin reid rose




in the dentist's
waiting room:
a gaping red rose

dubs:
makkin a jeegsaw
o the lift




puddles:
making a jigsaw
of the sky

weet agane -
snail an son
sloom athort the winnock




rain again -
snail and son
chasse across the window

traffic scooryin -
dubs lowp
clap tae bygaun fowk




traffic racing -
puddles leap
cling to passers-by

dreich day -
lairnin tae yaise'r wand
the blin cailleach's smirk
spreids




dull day -
learning to use her cane
the blind lady's smile
spreads

fou muin
...ma tae keeks oot
frae a rive i ma hose




full moon
...my toe peeps out
from a hole in my sock

sneddin buddleia -
the midden
snowkin douce




pruning buddleia -
the compost heap
smelling sweet

hairst
blawin in -
pish-the-bed's hinmaist day




autumn
blowing in -
dandelion clock's last day

meditation chaumer
latecomer
tuim mind craiks




meditation room
latecomer
empty mind creaks

doontoon tooter -
ghaists daunce
a whilie




downtown trumpet -
ghosts dance
a while

puddock plowpin
intae the dub
steerin the sterns




frog plopping
into the pond
disturbing the stars

athort the watter
a daunce-baund:
kipples fushtail an snuve




across the river
a dance-band:
couples fishtail and glide

licht reflecks
frae the Guid Buik -
the altar-laddie's neb sheens




light reflects
from the open bible -
the altar-boy's face shines

Kirstenin mornin -
the clematis
strinkles me wi draps




Christening morning -
the clematis
sprinkles me with drops

sweelin wund
feezin aff
the flourishins




swirling wind
unscrewing
the blossoms

watterside treen
cowpt -
fush throuch the brainches




riverside trees
toppled -
fish through the branches

derk watter -
frae a burd
a hert-brakkin sang




dark river -
from a bird
a heart-breaking song

(for Billie Holiday)

furst tryst -
mither's weir-pent
ower's plooks




first date -
mother's make-up
over his acne

steerin
a wesp's byke - skirls
frae the slawest rinner




disturbing
a wasp's nest - screams
from the slowest runner

causey
o duntin umberellaes -
burn o bricht wrack




street
of bumping umbrellas -
stream of bright flotsam

a peerie dug
bowfin
at the wund




a tiny dog
barking
at the wind

a train dirls ower
the airches - hameless
he drames anither life




a train rattles over
the arches - homeless
he dreams anither life

drave boats -
maws
ruggin the err apairt




herring boats -
gulls
tearing the air apart

muinlit vennel -
a wab
o glentin wires




moonlit alley -
a web
of glittering needles

butteries in a raw -
a conga
throuch the gairden




butterflies in a line-
a conga
through the garden

athort the rose petal
yalla beads rowe
...plash transparently




across the rose petal
yellow beads roll
...cascade transparently

auld attercap
wirkin'r wab -
granny wyevin




old spider
working her web -
grandmother knitting

kestin'r breid
the swan wins tae'r -
doontoon Leda




casting her bread
the swan comes to her -
downtown Leda

bikinis
i the gairden
aipples beamin




bikinis
in the garden
apples blushing

mornin incaains
threidin throuch
the maw-greit




morning prayers
threading through
the gull-cry

'FOGGIES' GAIRDEN' -
flooers
cum an gane




'VETERANS' GARDEN' -
flowers
come and gone

muin atween the cluds -
a fite bawdrons
snuves ahint the fence




moon between the clouds -
a white cat
glides behind the fence

tuim wine-bottle -
snail
fir a cork




empty wine-bottle -
snail
for a cork

weet hauds a wee -
crans
gae heelster gowdie




a break in the rain -
swifts
loop-the-loop

muinlicht
on the pianny keys -
sheddies i the hauf-notes




moonlight
on the piano keys -
shadows in the half-notes

eller berries
baggit bricht
...speuggies' een




elder berries
bulging bright
...sparrows' eyes

wund throuch the treen -
the raggit lip
o a bleckie's sang




wind through the trees -
the ragged edge
of a blackbird's song

glaizie
i the burd-bath:
lest nicht's onding




glittering
in the bird-bath:
last night's downpour

ootby the exam-ha
the passion flooer's
wimples




outside the exam-hall
the passion flower's
intricacies

swallt
burn:
tidesfou




swollen
stream:
oceansfull

maws fechtin
the wund -
fedders fawin




gulls fighting
the wind -
feathers falling

simmer hoalidays -
camp-lowe reek
heavin tae the muin




summer vacation -
camp-fire smoke
rising to the moon


(winner: Carribean kukai #5:summer vacation)

retiral -
tentie o aipples
eydently reiddenin




retired -
watching apples
busy reddening

faw'n rose petal -
a peerie eemock
sclims a reid muntain




fallen rose petal -
a tiny ant
climbs a red mountain

muin-cowpit
rug -
a swan howdin




moon-tilted
tide -
a swan rocking

hail watter -
the hameless chiel's
wattered-doon bree




torrents of rain -
the homeless man's
watered-down soup

lown dub
a peerie petal faws -
a chitter throuchoot...




still pool
a tiny petal falls -
a shiver throughout...

monastery gairden -
sinflooers'
heids cowpit




monastery garden -
sunflowers'
heads bent


(winner sketchbook kukai: sunflowers)

a lane bummer
stravaigs
the stoundin flourishins




a solitary bee
wanders
the aching blossoms

gentie deuk -
aneath the scruif
radge paiddlin




elegant duck -
beneath the surface
furious paddling

barfit bairns -
ower het stanes
a peerie jeeg




barefoot children -
over hot stones
a little jig

tipperin
atween the cluds:
hern




tip-toeing
between the clouds:
heron

rose
bleemin
...quate pluff




rose
blooming
...silent explosion

deid i the girse
a bummer - its weengs
gildin ma fingers




dead in the grass
a bee - its wings
gilding my fingers

bleckie chirmin
throuch the treen
a burn




blackbird trilling
through the trees
a stream

oot frae the haar
a swan
furmin




out from the mist
a swan
forming


(Mainichi Daily News)

a singul cran
makkin a circus
o the mornin




a single swift
making a circus
of the morning

the yett's sheddae:
JYLE
scrievit i the sin's licht




the gate's shadow:
PRISON
written in the sun's light

whaur the watter
trysts wi the lift:
swans an cluds




where the river
meets the sky:
swans and clouds

swan keeks
abuin'r weeng
...fantoosh dauncer




swan peeps
above her wing
...exotic dancer

the bodach rists -
tentie o the funtain
heavin an fawin




the old man rests -
watches the fountain
rising and falling

i the smusht
yill bottle:
the drouthie's brucken neb




in the smashed
beer bottle:
the drunk's broken face

furst nasturtiums
keekin:
thair reid nebs




first nasturtiums
peeping:
their red faces

murners win awa -
beadles crack on fitbaw
duntin sheelfous o cley




mourners leave -
gravediggers talk football
thumping shovelfulls of clay

her furst
bakit breid -
swallin wi pride




her first
baked bread -
swelling with pride

pink balloons
yerkin tae be lowsit
...speengies




pink balloons
tugging to be free
...peonies

ablow me
swans pickin
it ma sheddae's pooches




below me
swans pecking
at my shadow's pockets

dementia -
he hunkers i the mids
o a skailt jeegsaw




dementia -
he sits in the midst
of a scattered jigsaw

anither haijin gane -
sauch leaves
dreepin




another haijin gone -
willow leaves
dripping

(for Paul O. Williams and James Kirkup)

cleedit fir tennis -
weet
stottin atween thaim




dressed for tennis -
rain
bouncing between them

throuch the gairden
on'r mobile phone -
a wab claps tae'r




through the garden
on her mobile phone -
a web clings to her

airlie Mass -
the kist o whustles
pechin




early Mass -
the organ
wheezing

atween the pages
a deid flee -
a sneckit buik




between the pages
a dead fly -
a closed book

crans
mair swith
this towmond




swifts
swifter
this year

on the clartie burn
swans
daizzlin




on the muddy stream
swans
dazzling

her pianny -
stour
on the keys




her piano -
dust
on the keys

cluds
creepin nar -
gey lik a weir




clouds
creeping closer -
just like a war

snail's
mindin i the nicht -
glaizie necklace




snail's
gift in the night -
glittering necklace

furst day o simmer -
yella gowan tassies
fou o sinlicht




first day of summer -
buttercup cups
full of sunlight

ikebana
on the altar
treenity o carnations




ikebana
on the altar
trinity of carnations

the wund
cleedin'm in clouts -
humphed hern




the wind
dressing him in rags -
hunched heron

in the green tae
her mongolian een -
the tassie's lip her smirk




in the green tea
her mongolian eyes -
the cup's rim her smile

throuch the weet:
maws skirlin
the ceetie fissin




through the rain:
gulls screaming
the city hissing

sin slumpin -
anither heid
amang the puppies




sun sinking -
another head
among the poppies

fundin a sinblink
the dug birls itsel
intae a drame




finding a sunbeam
the dog spins itself
into a dream

fireflaucht
jinkin doon the brae
fite gaits




lightning
zigzagging down the mountain
white goats

ablow the kirk winnock
the priest
stauns in a wattergaw




below the church window
the priest
stands in a rainbow

oot frae's mools
ugsome thrissels:
mools o the torterer




out from his grave
horrendous thistles:
grave of the torturer

sica fricht:
the cot-staun
a tattie-bogle in muinlicht




such a fright:
the coat-stand
a scarecrow in moonlight

in the nicht
a dug yowlin
a bleck dug




in the night
a dog barking
a black dog

burds wappin
the lift
blaer an blaer




birds sweeping
the sky
bluer and bluer

swans
puntin upstream -
easy-osie i thirsels




swans
punting upstream -
laid-back in themselves

on's shall
weet
snail streeks oot yin ee




on his shell
rain
snail stretches out one eye

sin throuch the weet -
a bittie wattergaw
steeks oot frae the bog




sun through the rain -
a piece of rainbow
sticks out from the bog

nicht weirs in -
craws retourin
tae the craw widdie




night approaches -
crows returning
to the crow wood

frae the lily's tooter:
gowden pollen
driftin




from the lily's trumpet:
golden pollen
drifting

the buss aqueever
wi gorblins:
a green wame-fou




the bush aquiver
with nestlings:
a green womb-full

doverin i the perk
a hameless chiel:
lyart wi thrisseldoon




asleep in the park
a homeless man:
grizzled with thistledown

slawer nor confetti:
gean flourish
faws aboot the cailleach




slower than confetti:
cherry blossom
falls about the old lady

roon
the seelent grun
the treen aye hoochin




round
the silent stadium
the trees still cheering

beerial mornin -
a snell wund's
tirlt the gean flourish




funeral morning -
a bitter wind's stripped
the cherry blossom

burds gaither -
the beadle
slawly mizzlin




birds gather -
the gravedigger
slowly disappearing

maw's sheddae
athort the burn
the fisher kets's heuk




gull's shadow
across the stream
the angler casts his hook

ootby ma winnock
in bawdrons' green een
sheddae o a nieve




outside my window
in cat's green eyes
shadow of a fist

immigration:
the bairn's derk fingers
kinchin's mither's herr




immigration:
the child's dark fingers
knotting his mother's hair

sweirt watter -
sauch's sheddae
thair an yit no thair




lazy river -
willow's shadow
there and yet not there

on the wey
tae the rugby:
rosettes o aipple flourish




on the way
to the rugby match:
rosettes of apple blossom

a tide o fitecaps -
on the girse
magnolia petals




an ocean of whitecaps -
on the grass
magnolia petals

Yirth Day -
amang the sterns
a gairden




Earth Day -
amongst the stars
a garden


(this appeared in a sequence on Gillena cox's
web page celebrating Earth Day)

fankilt bummer:
wund frae's weengs
shills ma fingers




trapped bumble-bee:
wind from its wings
chills my fingers

on waste grun
they argie -
thrissels' glaizie stugs




on waste ground
they argue -
thistles' glittering spikes

weet throuch
gean flourish:
neb-pentin the bodach




rain through
cherry blossom:
face-painting the old man

her laddie scauls'r:
her dementia
pouin oot the flooers




her son scolds her:
her dementia
pulling out the flowers

hait
hingin
i the gean flourish




heat
hanging
in the cherry blossom

i the sin, the jakie
muives's yill
intae's bouk's sheddae




in the sun, the wino
moves his beer
into his body's shadow

stane
drapt i the dub -
muin wammles awa




stone
dropped in the pool -
moon wriggles away

on a snell wund
gean flourish
lavein




on a cold wind
cherry blossom
leaving

pink freith
o gean flourish -
speuggies dookin




pink froth
of cherry blossom -
sparrows bathing

pish-the-beds -
a'ready jalousin
the ghaists ye'll turn tae




dandelions -
already imagining
the ghosts you'll become

fou muin -
her goonie
a silken haip on the flair




full moon -
her nightgown
a silken heap on the floor

her shock:
the faw'n neb
the feart gran-bairns




her stroke:
the fallen face
the frightened grandchildren

saw neb
heid in'ts weeng - fleein
in anither dramescape




gooseander
head in its wing - flying
in another dreamscape

muinlicht -
gean flourish
sens it back




moonlight -
cherry blossom
sends it back

furst deuklins -
bawdrons'
yalla een




first ducklings -
cat's
yellow eyes

gean flourish
flutherin doon:
haps the swan




cherry blossom
fluttering down:
covers the swan

tint whalp -
yowfin
frae the daffins




lost puppy -
barking
from the daffodils

wino -
sindoon
in's een




wino -
sundown
in his eyes

owerhingin forsythia:
the burn
hotterin yalla




overhanging forsythia:
the stream
bubbling yellow

agin the blae lift
gean flourish
cluds




against the blue sky
cherry blossom
clouds

airlie mornin maw -
a craikin door
apens intae voar




early morning gull -
a creaking door
opens into spring

the bodach sets doon -
doodles
wi the cluds




the old man sits down -
doodles
with the clouds

waukrife -
his pillae
fou o vices




sleepless -
his pillow
full of voices

a tirl -
daffins heeld
lips tae lugs




a gentle breeze -
daffodils lean
lips to ears

sea braise -
its dowie een
i the sinlicht




sea bream -
its sad eyes
in the sunlight

furst gean flourish:
a'ready
rowin awa




first cherry blossom:
already
rolling away

the cailleach
thraws up'r leerie -
magnolia flourish




the old lady
turns-up her lamp -
magnolia blossom

abuin the blues howff:
skimmerin skeengies
o lichtnin




above the blues club:
shimmering strings
of lightning

new tramwey -
in heich brainches
punlers yatterin




new tramway -
in high branches
lumberjacks chattering

i the perk:
a youthie collie
ettles tae haud the craws




in the park:
a young sheepdog
tries to round up the crows

merch wunds -
a bygaun clud
a muckle swan




march winds -
a passing cloud
a huge swan

immigrants
daffin at the baw -
lauchter amang the burdsang




immigrants
playing football -
laughter amongst the birdsong

frae ahint cluds
the sin -
a bob o daffins




from behind clouds
the sun -
a posy of daffodils

he shops -
she coories, tentie
o the derk craws gaitherin




he shops -
she sits, watching
the dark crows gathering

swan i this peerie dub:
preein the tide
i the weet




swan in this tiny pond:
tasting the ocean
in the rain

airlie mornin dauner -
the err guffin
o brent tost




early morning stroll -
the air smelling
of burnt toast

daffins:
voar
drames




daffodils:
spring
dreams

in a thrang causey:
the seelence
o leaves unfurlin




in a busy street:
the silence
of leaves unfurling

voar yirdin -
cannily intae the yirth
cannily hapt




spring funeral -
carefully into the earth
carefully covered

anither auld fere's
cremation -
feelin the hait




another old friend's
cremation -
feeling the heat

furst gean flourishins:
threy anely
tae kinnle the brainch




first cherry blossoms:
three only
to kindle the branch

licht throuch a hinmaist
vause o daffins
lichtens's oorie een




light through a last
vase of daffodils
brightens his fearful eyes

abuin the sheuch
navvies' heids -
bricht meysies




above the trench
labourers' heads -
bright primroses

frae the brig
swans soom intae ma sheddae
...beek ma hert




from the bridge
swans swim into my shadow
...warm my heart

atween
twa muins:
the watter




between
two moons:
the river

speuggies hunker
scuffin heids -
Voar inches in




sparrows sit
touching heads -
Spring inches in

derk wuid
throuch thrawn brainches, craw -
set o a wutch's bunnet




dark wood
through crooked branches, crow -
shape of a witch's hat

a maw
weirin intil -
a hauf-mindit sang




a gull
slowly approaching -
a half-remembered song

on the burn
a riven scrieve -
the hern unconcernt




on the stream
a torn-up letter -
the heron unconcerned

craw on the lum:
voar tirl
daffin wi'ts fedders




crow on the chimney:
spring breeze
playing with its feathers

Sabbath -
the priest in's green vestments
the daffins in thairs




Sunday -
the priest in his green vestments
the daffodils in theirs

frae heichest brainches
craws' muckle stramash:
Voar weirin intil?




from highest branches
crows' great commotion:
Spring approaching?

larach o
the auld jazz club:
binweed tooters




site of
the old jazz club:
convolvulus trumpets

bi the tod's bourie:
muinlit
banes




by the fox's den:
moonlit
bones

snaw on the aipple tree -
tosie i thair buds
the aipples




snow on the apple tree -
warm in their buds
the apples

owernicht:
the perk fou
o forleetit snawmen




overnight:
the park full
of abandoned snowmen

throuch the fite carse
the burn's bleck straik:
haiga




through the white landscape
the stream's black stroke:
haiga

fou muin -
the midnicht express
thunnerin throuch




full moon -
the midnight express
thundering through

i the hedgeraw:
the glentin
o speuggies



in the hedgerow:
the twinkling
of sparrows

crippilt
he fussles i the snaw
maks on his steeks'r ski poles




crippled
he whistles in the snow
pretends his sticks are ski poles

the auld fir:
yin green sheddae
on the burn




the old pine:
one green shadow
on the stream

auld feres lavein -
snaw faws
fous thair fitprents




old friends leaving -
snow falls
fills their footprints

monks' mort-heids heapit heich
i the charnel-hoose:
set o a bride's cake




monks' skulls heaped high
in the charnel-house:
shape of a wedding cake

readin ma new 'Basho' -
a laddie DUNTS by
weirin muckle green flippers




reading my new 'Basho' -
a boy THUMPS by
wearing huge green flippers

Corsin the Sinai Desert oor guide stappit the bus
tae gie's a glisk o yin o the fyow oases aye aboot;
suddentlie sax Bedouin bairns kythed frae naewhaur,
cairryin ashets on whilk wur spreid the maist dumfoonerin agates.
Efter, oor guide exponed til us hoo the Bedouin fowk wur the furst
tae inbring Islam tae Egypt.


a Bedouin laddie
rents the clint fir us
shaws the jowelt hert




crossing the Sinai Desert our guide stopped the bus
to show us one of the few remaining oases;
suddenly six Bedouin children appeared from nowhere,
carrying platters on which were spread the most amazing agates.
Later, our guide explained to us how the Bedouin people were the first
to introduce Islam to Egypt.


a Bedouin boy
splits the rock for us
shows its jewelled heart


(a first haibun)

on the strand
luvers taigilt
...a wrack




on the beach
lovers entangled
...a shipwreck

auld monk
tentie o the veesitors -
wund yerks's baird




old monk
watching the visitors -
wind tugs his beard

furst snawfaw -
ilka brainch laidit
wi a ghaistly yin




first snowfall -
each branch laden
with a ghostly one

gangrel -
stame frae's bree
beekin's neb




tramp -
steam from his soup
warming his face

wund stourin
throuch the causey - bairns
haudin thair cots lik weengs




wind racing
through the street - children
holding their coats like wings

the hern taks aff -
his trams
...harlin anchors




the heron takes off -
his legs
...dragging anchors

wunter mornin -
twa auld freens
snaw in oor herr




winter morning -
two old friends
snow in our hair

day-daw - licht rins
throuch the brainches
lichtin-up the gean tree




dawn - light runs
through the branches
lighting-up the cherry tree

corsin the causey
reengin fir sake -
'comin throuch the rye'




crossing the street
searching for sake -
'coming through the rye'


(in fukuoka a pedestrian crossing's signal to cross
was a loud rendition of the scots tune
'Coming through the rye')

auld fitbaw hero
hunkert bi the ingle -
a rairin frae the lum




old football hero
sits by the fireside -
a roaring from the chimney

fou miun -
a perk
o new faw'n snaw




full moon -
a field
of newly fallen snow

the burn's gurlin:
watter an stane
...ragtime clarinet




the stream's purling:
water and stone
...ragtime clarinet

sin lowst:
geelt dubs
rin intae the burn




sun released:
frozen puddles
run into the stream

wunter sundoon -
gean tree's brainches
reiddenin




winter sunset -
cherry tree's branches
reddening