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