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