bawdrons goves at the muin -
a bead o mulk
hingin frae's fuskers




cat stares at the moon -
a bead of milk
hanging from his whiskers

fou muin:
agin'ts screen
the nakit treen thrawin



full moon:
against its screen
the naked trees writhing

bleckie's gowd neb
doubling
...sally-ann tooter




blackbird's gold beak
trilling
...salvationist cornet

Yule snaw -
ilk tree
beirin'ts brither




Christmas snow -
each tree
bearing its brother

on an eenin brainch
reid rab tentie o the sin
its reid breist




on an evening branch
a robin watches the sun
its red breast

thowe -
i the gairden
the treen haud forrit




thaw -
in the garden
the trees step forward

the tide's stramash
heesht tae a dreep:
eeshogels




the ocean's crashing
muted to a drip:
icicles

on the steppin-stane
snaw haipt heich
...doverin hern




on the stepping-stone
snow piled high
...sleeping heron

midnicht
staunin
in a snaw-lit chaumer




midnight
standing
in a snow-lit room

cannie speuggie:
able tae stravaig
the deep snaw's scruif




lucky sparrow:
able to the wander
the deep snow's crust

snaw -
the treen
aw yin flourish




snow -
the trees
all one blossom

furst snaw -
the siller birks
cleidit in new cots




first snow -
the silver birches
dressed in new coats

throuch nakit treen
the auld cou goves:
antlered




through naked trees
the old cow stares:
antlered

hairst's towl...
sheuch fou o leaves
airteries claggin




autumn's toll...
drains full of leaves
arteries clogging

furst freest -
warslin dugs
in a trinnlin clud o braith


first frost -
wrestling dogs
in a rolling cloud of breath

armistice day -
the reid maple
liggs its wreath




armistice day -
the red maple
lays its wreath

gloamin
nakit treen
hairst calligraphy




dusk
naked trees
autumn calligraphy

i the causey dubs
hooses trummle
... an incaain fir Haiti




in the street's puddles
houses tremble
...a prayer for Haiti

heavin
frae the perk bink
the hameless chiel castin leaves




rising
from the park bench
the homeless man shedding leaves

hallae e'en -
in's scary fause face
feart o the derk




halloween -
in his scary mask
afraid of the dark

freest mizzlin -
day muin
dwines intae the cluds




frost melting -
day moon
disappears into the clouds

i the muinlicht
fawin leaves
...derk sterns




in the moonlight
falling leaves
...dark stars

faw'n leaves -
bairns hove thaim liftwarts
an rin throuch thair fawin




fallen leaves -
children toss them skywards
and run through their falling

ceilidh -
throuch the herp strings
the weedie's begrutten neb




recital -
through the harp strings
the widow's tear-stained face

hairst sinlicht -
beasties an stour
daunce in a leam




autumn sunlight -
insects and dust
dance in a beam

swans gaither
...bit the day the bodach
maits the wirms




swans gather
...but today the old man
feeds the worms

eller berries -
bleck een
atween the leaves




elder berries -
beady eyes
between the leaves

hairst -
the skep's putt
gaein cannie




autumn -
the beehive's pulse
slowing down

chessie shall -
the duntit bed
whaur the conker liggit




chestnut shell -
the dented bed
where the nut lay

hern i the weet -
a fireflaucht glent
... wammlin troot




heron in the rain -
a lightning flash
... wriggling trout

pheelosophie cless -
ootby the winnock
a monkey-puzzle tree




philosophy class -
outside the window
a monkey-puzzle tree

hairst wund -
the owerturnin leaves
o the gospel




autumn wind -
the turning leaves
of the gospel


(The Pope's Mass in Scotland 2010)

hairst -
the maister spreids's
orange hap




autumn -
the master spreads his
orange robe

her alsatian
chattles ma fingers:
prees the dree




her alsatian
nibbles my fingers:
tastes the fear

mornin haar -
atween the treen
attercap's ghaistly brig




morning mist -
between the trees
spider's ghostly bridge

i the perk
craws pikein faw'n aipples
...cooried junkies




in the park
crows spiking fallen apples
...huddled junkies

...gaislins
haud by
i thair fedder boatties




...goslings
pass by
in their feather boats

auld freen -
oxterin'm
oor banes bairge




old friend -
embracing him
our bones collide

his neb
tint in's baird -
een blae eggs in a nest




his face
lost in his beard -
eyes blue eggs in a nest

ower the palin
ma neebor's sinflooer
...freenly neb




over the fence
my neighbour's sunflower
...friendly face

festival rackets -
hedder-reenges
bleemin




festival fireworks -
hydrangeas
blooming

WANTIN:
a tattie-bogle -
maggies reivin the plooms




WANTED:
a scarecrow -
magpies stealing the plums

furst o oor
hamelt aipples:
oor nebs thrawn




first of our
home-grown apples:
our faces contorted

midnicht -
sirius thrabbin
a dug yowlin




midnight -
sirius pulsing
a dog barking

tiggin's kist -
i the derk wuid
luvin een




touching his coffin -
in the dark wood
loving eyes

the scriddan
gudgin-oot the cleuch -
a butterie jigs throuch




the torrent
gouging-out the gorge -
a butterfly dances through

kirkyaird crucifix -
in Christ's oxter,a wab:
flees speldert




churchyard crucifix -
in Christ's armpit,a web:
flies spreadeagled

stushie
o cou-bells:
flees yokin in




cacophony
of cow-bells:
flies attacking

speirin:
whit's in the kail?
...mongolian een




asking:
what's in the soup?
...mongolian eyes

buddleia
aw wunter mellin
this douceness




buddleia
all winter concocting
this sweetness

fou muin -
the maister
maks a perfit circle




full moon -
the master
makes a perfect circle

day-daw -
the peerie
reid rooster




dawn -
the little
red rooster

i the flesher's shoppie
a bowie o bluid
...roses fir's guidwife




in the butcher's shop
a bucket of blood
...roses for his wife

proggin fir the douceness:
the humminburd
...the luvers




probing for the sweetness:
the hummingbird
...the lovers

circus in toon -
the hallion
pits on's neb




circus in town -
the clown
puts on his face

a cran
soops the cornfield
...sheddae o a heuck




a swift
sweeps the cornfield
...shadow of a sickle

mornin tirl
tinglin the wund-bell -
the maister faws quate




morning breeze
tingling the wind-bell -
the master stops talking

wund
throuch the backlans
...rispy saxyphone




wind
through the ghetto
...raspy saxophone

swans
neb tae neb:
fite hert




swans
beak to beak:
white heart

skirls:
the peerie dug
feshin-in the weet




screams:
the little dog
fetching-in the rain

bibbles on the burn
or the burn bibblin? -
weet mornin Koan




bubbles on the stream
or the stream bubbling? -
wet morning Koan

sundoon -
a reid snuid
in'r herr




sunset -
a red ribbon
in her hair

auld actor
a heid fou o vices
...wunners whilk yin's heez




old thespian
a head full of voices
...wonders which one's his

on heich brandering
brickies -
sin amang thair yalla helmets




on high scaffolding
bricklayers -
sun among their yellow helmets

doverin
in ma faither's bunnet:
springheid o drames




dozing
in my father's hat:
source of dreams

clints washt
intae the burn:
cheengin'ts tune




rocks washed
into the stream:
changing its melody

solstice -
the muin wytein on
the day tae en




solstice -
the moon waiting
for the day to end

scuil sports -
crans, swith
amang the childers' feet




sports day -
swifts, swift
among the childrens' feet

hern
humphed
in a net o sheddaes




heron
hunched
in a net of shadows

deid sodgers hame-comin -
causey
o broozilt flooers




dead soldiers returning -
highway
of crushed flowers

(Wooton Basset:Wiltshire)

jowin the bell
the nun's airms heave an faw
...angel weengs




ringing the bell
the nun's arms rise and fall
...angel wings

on the zendo's
sheenin flair
bygaun cluds




on the zendo's
polished floor
passing clouds


(mainichi daily news)

day-daw -
a maw tilts;
sheens licht intae ma chaumer




dawn -
a gull tilts;
shines light into my room

frae'r peerie hoose
aye the fleetchin -
thrang blue bonnet




from her tiny house
constant pleading -
busy blue tit

weet nicht -
knickin
o the leaves




wet night -
ticking
of the leaves

the irish bard's
ripplin souch -
a cailleach wyvein





the irish poet's
purling language -
an old lady knitting

waddin day -
a butterie fidderin
throuch thair sheddaes' herts




wedding day -
a butterfly fluttering
through their shadows' hearts

gean flourish
fawin aboot the gangrel
...colourfou clouts




cherry blossom
falling about the tramp
...colourful rags

the auld dorbie
smoorit wi lairstane stour
...hoastin...hoastin




the old mason
covered with gravestone dust
...coughing...coughing

wi's razzor
he pynts tae the fou muin -
his sowpied neb




with his razor
he points to the full moon -
his lathered face

gean flourishins -
wizzent
tae myndins




cherry blossoms -
withered
to memories

deid
amang the wrack o's hame:
snail




dead amongst
the ruins of his home:
snail

sin
takkin ma pictur -
bleck on the burn




sun
taking my picture -
monochrome on the stream

kestin
sax - fit sheddaes:
faither's aipple seeds





casting
six-foot shadows:
father's apple seeds

cuppin a haunfou
o muntain burn -
preein cluds




cupping a handful
of mountain stream -
tasting clouds

time fir Kirk -
the priest's collie
yowfin




time for Church -
the priest's sheepdog
barking

scartin the hazelraw
findin ilk scrieve -
grannie's lairstane




scratching the lichen
tracing each letter -
grandmother's headstone

i the cannle-licht
Christ's bouk
queeverin




in the candle-light
Christ's body
quivering


(Ascension Thursday)

argie-bargie
ower breid -
maws ill-tungit




arguing
over bread -
gulls cursing

the treeple o weet -
snails
merchin oot




the drum of rain -
snails
marching out

bawdrons' een
aneath a fou muin
gowkin



cat's eyes
beneath a full moon
unblinking

throuch the wuid's
green licht
the waff o sawins




through the forest's
green light
the smell of sawdust

bleckie's neb
dreepin
voar weet




blackbird's beak
dripping
spring rain

voar weet -
brattlin o cheers
frae the plainstanes cafe




spring rain -
clattering of chairs
from the pavement cafe


(first place Sketchbook kukai)

wizzent burn
stanes
fite banes




dried-up stream
stones
white bones

burdsang
tummlin frae the tree
gean flourish




birdsong
tumbling from the tree
cherry blossom

swan
happit in a sloom -
panderin muin




swan
wrapped in sleep -
drifting moon

scaffolder
thrang amang's branderin
...craw reddin rice




scaffolder
busy amongst his tubes
...crow arranging twigs

magnolia tree
throuch the winnock
caunleabrum




magnolia tree
through the window
candelabrum

draigon-fleein -
faither hauds's laddie's
cot-tail




kite-flying -
father holds his son's
coat-tail


(2nd place Caribbean kukai #12)

tai chi
aneath the treen -
the hern hings on yin tram




tai chi
beneath the trees -
the heron balances on one leg

wark sang:
bummers souch
throuch the gairden




work song:
bees drone
through the garden

the hameless wifie
trauchles -
pokes fou o wund




the homeless lady
trudges -
bags full of wind

deid tod -
wund herps
throuch its banes




dead fox -
wind harps
through its bones

tentie
o the turtles soomin -
monks' bauldie-heids




watching
the turtles swimming -
monks' bald heads

aneath'r,
twa eggs:
swans fir anither makar




beneath her,
two eggs:
swans for another poet

gean flourish -
pluffs o braith
oan the mornin err




cherry blossom -
puffs of breath
on the morning air

the bodach
cuiterin's hingower -
pikie sheddaes on the burn




the old man
nursing his hangover -
jagged shadows on the stream

fankilt agin the lozen:
bummer's feem
fous the chaumer




trapped against the pane:
bee's anger
fills the room

agin a blae back-drap -
yin clud
ackin monie pairts




against a blue back-drop -
one cloud
acting many parts

cluds stourin -
the auld collie
bowfin




clouds racing -
the old sheepdog
barking

muin
i the burn
...pirlin banjo




moon
in the stream
...rippling banjo

crippilt bairn hauds's
palm-corse tae the licht
...hings on'ts sheddae




crippled child holds his
palm-cross to the light
...hangs on its shadow

(Palm Sunday)

a peerie shaw -
weet an birks
souchin thegither




a tiny grove -
rain and birches
singing together

furst gean flourish -
blate straiks
o reid




first cherry blossom -
shy streaks
of red

the dentist's gairden
thirlin -
ruits o the auld aik




the dentist's garden
quivering -
roots of the old oak

dreich mornin
bit fir a joug o blitheness:
daffins




depressing morning
but for a jug of joy:
daffodils

aises
on ma broo
the priest's snell thoum




ashes
on my forehead
the priest's cold thumb

(winner Caribbean Kukai #11)

mairch wunds
booin
the bodach




march winds
bending
the old man

leddies
i thair burkas
roon the cosmetic coonter




ladies
in their burkas
round the cosmetic counter

labster fishers
argie-bargie -
a poke o cleuks




lobster fishermen
arguing -
a bag of claws

forleetit scuil -
voar flooers'
shooglin nebs




derelict school -
spring flowers'
jostling faces

muinlicht
throuch the winnock
fouin a bleck bra




moonlight
through the window
filling a black bra

bawdrons dernin -
amang the snawdraps
yin siller bell




cat hiding -
among the snowdrops
one siver bell

throuch palm leaves:
the sin
in sclices




through palm leaves:
the sun
in slices

bi the herbour:
beached baits
fush oot o watter




by the harbour:
beached boats
fish out of water

ootby the bulraing
waff
o hamburger




outside the bullring
smell
of hamburger

she greets
wi'r
mizzlin snawman




she weeps
with
her melting snowman

mizzlin snaw -
the burn slawly
sclims the hern's shanks




melting snow -
the stream slowly
climbs the heron's legs


(winner Sketchbook kukai: melting snow)

blue bonnet tinglin
the wund-bells:
his refleckshun




blue tit tinkling
the wind-bells:
his reflection

voar sin -
jeelt articles
lintin




spring sun -
frozen things
relaxing

snawdraps
skimmer -
strinkilt muinlicht




snowdrops
glitter -
scattered moonlight

sabbath bells -
bairns stour
fir the ice-cream van




sunday bells -
children race
for the ice-cream van

bi the watterside:
sumyin's braith
hauden in a yalla balloon




by the riverside:
someone's breath
held in a yellow balloon

furst
daffin pikes
win forrit




first
daffodil spears
advance

deezie
in a roond o nirls:
the bairn




dizzy
in a circle of crumbs:
the child

bygaun parawd -
Miss Voar
wi'r green fingernails




passing parade -
Miss Spring
with her green fingernails

it the uncos:
jalouse
a page o blaest blues




at the news:
imagine
a page of bluest blues


(for Hortensia)

humphed tattie-bogle
syne sappie daundie:
hern the muckle guiser




hunched ragamuffin
then sleek dandy:
heron the great mummer

anither onfaw -
reid rab's peerie leam
beeks




another snowfall -
the robin's tiny glow
warms

the drumlie lassie's
oorie skirls -
petals trummle i the vause




the troubled girl's
chilling screams -
petals tremble in the vase

she cycles by
her wheels aglister -
sin an muin i the lift




she cycles past
her wheels aglitter -
sun and moon in the sky

fou muin
at the winnock -
the bairn sooks'r mulk




full moon
at the window -
the child sucks her milk

the pallbearers:
nae scrum
sae tichtly bund




the pallbearers:
no scrum
so tightly bound


(for Bill McLaren 1923-2010
rugby commentator and Gentleman)

at the winnock:
craw spreids a weeng
o derk pens




at the window:
crow spreads a wing
of dark quills

hyacinths
bowlie tae the licht -
the crippilt laddie reflecks




hyacinths
bent to the light -
the crippled boy ponders

peerie dub
tellyscope
tae the heivens




tiny puddle
telescope
to the heavens

a fund key -
a nock
braks's lown




a found key -
a clock
breaks his silence

a dowie tooter -
new orleans kens
...Haiti




a sad cornet -
new orleans knows
...Haiti

burn in spate -
a reid baw boabbin
airtin fir sundoon




flooded stream -
a red ball bobbing
heading for sunset

wheelchair bund
she flees'r draigon -
her sowl toves




wheelchair bound
she flies her kite -
her soul soars

waukened
snaw-shuils scartin
thrawin sidelins the hap




wakened
snow-shovels scraping
throwing aside the blanket

burds craik -
platches o green
throuch the snaw




birds clamour -
patches of green
through the snow

peerie fite dug
tint i the snaw
...follaein a yalla steid




little white dog
lost in the snow
...following a yellow trail

wunter -
a
lang eeshogel




winter -
a
long icicle

towsy dug
baird fou o snaw -
gye lik masel




shaggy dog
beard full of snow -
very like myself

wunterscape -
oan a fite cannas
inker-bleck treen




winterscape -
on a white canvas
ink-black trees

ne'erday
spyog-prents athort the snaw -
towmond o the teeger




new year's day
paw-prints across the snow -
year of the tiger

poinsettia
in the ingle agane
bricht lowes




poinsettia
in the hearth again
bright flames

(Mainichi Daily News)