Wednesday, December 28, 2011

blowster  -
'guid mornin' smirk
blawn awa




Gale  -
'good morning' smile
blown away

Monday, December 26, 2011

tai chi 
poussin tuimness
...sweetin




tai chi 
pushing emptiness
...sweating

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

heelster-gowdie
on the sliddery plainstanes  -
daikert bleck an blae




head-over-heels
on the icy pavement  -
decorated black and blue

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

blue bonnet  -
wappin
amang the eeshogels




bluetit -
enormous
amongst the icicles

Saturday, December 10, 2011

trauchlin hame  -
derk muins o'r crummock
i the snaw




trudging home  -
dark moons of her walking stick
in the snow

Thursday, December 08, 2011

skirlin skech  -
auld maw
tint his sey-shanks




screaming scavenger  -
old gull
lost his sea-legs

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

midnicht express
pewlin
...teuk  a fere tae heiven




midnight express
wailing
...took a friend to heaven

Monday, November 28, 2011

the muezzin crys  -
awbody taks on
the set o incaain




the muezzin calls  -
everybody assumes
the shape of prayer

Thursday, November 24, 2011

the cailleach
hauns cuppin the quaich
...curlt hairst leaves




the old lady
hands cupping the chalice
...curled autumnal leaves

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

For some time I have greatly enjoyed the haiku of the New York Haijin: Jack Galmitz
I was thrilled when Jack asked me if I'd translate some of his stuff, so here we go enjoy!
                               ---------------------------------------


an abandoned lot: weeds tall as men, a shopping cart

a forleetit larach: growthe heich as chiels, a message cairt

an abandoned lot: a water-stained mattress, goldenrod

a forleetit larach: a watter-staint mattrass, gowdenrod

an abandoned lot: Trees of Heaven, auto parts

a forleetit larach: Treen o Heiven, caur brock

an abandoned lot: a large cardboard carton, a cooking pot

a forleetit larach: a muckle cairdboard cairton, a kettle

the moon knows not what it is I'm looking at

the muin disnae ken whit it is am leukin till

Friday, November 18, 2011

dryin nets  -
maws drift athort
... a slaw gemme o chess




drying nets  -
gulls drift across
... a slow game of chess

Thursday, November 17, 2011

ten snarls in a towe:
the gangrel wifie's
rosary




ten knots in a string:
the bag-lady's
rosary

Friday, November 11, 2011

armistice day  -
scuil bairns set aff bulbs
...derk trenches




armistice day  -
school children plant bulbs
...dark trenches

Saturday, November 05, 2011

lang vaig  -
she wyves the miles intae
a granbairn's shawlie




long journey  -
she crochets the miles into
a grandchild's shawl
cairryin
a posie o petals:
wund roond the kirk




carrying
a bouquet of petals:
wind round the church

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

a scarlet dawin  -
reid rab hunkers
refleckin




a scarlet dawn  -
the robin sits
reflecting

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

craws  -
hairst's door sneckin
on roostie baunds




crows  -
autumn's door closing
on rusty hinges
the yirth heizin
in derk swaws  -
wunter plooin




the earth rising
in dark waves  -
winter ploughing

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

skwurrel
tuimin the burd-brod  -
settin aff a puggie nut ferm




squirrel
emptying the bird-table  -
planting a peanut farm

Sunday, October 16, 2011

denner
i the gairden 
maggie Maitre d'




lunch
in the garden 
magpie Maitre d'

Saturday, October 08, 2011

747 fleein in
laich ower watter 
...sheddae o a sherk




747 flying in
low over water 
...shadow of a shark

Thursday, October 06, 2011

mercat day  -
the deid grumphie
smirkin




market day  -
the dead pig
smiling

Thursday, September 22, 2011

a leaf faws  -
chitterin sweels
on the burn




a leaf falls  -
shivering circles
on the stream

Sunday, September 18, 2011

blawin bibbles  -
on mither's chaft
preeins brustin




blowing bubbles  -
on mother's cheek
kisses bursting

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

hairst mornin  -
weet dancin
on the dubs




autumn morning  -
rain dancing
on the puddles

Monday, September 05, 2011

hame, trailin slammachs  -
Wordsworth
trauchilt cluds




home, trailing spiders' webs  -
Wordsworth
trailed clouds

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

the auld scuil steekit  -
anely the bummers
murmellin a lesson




the old school closed  -
only the bees
murmuring a lesson

Friday, August 19, 2011

rose petals spreidin
at the feet
o the hairst bride




rose petals spreading
at the feet
of the autumn bride

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

awa frae the stramash
the burn
threips tae me




away from the riots
the stream
talks to me

Friday, August 05, 2011

dischairged sodger 
stravaigs the causeys
stappin anely on the crecks




discharged soldier 
wanders the streets
stepping only on the cracks

Thursday, August 04, 2011

herbour dauner  -
the mornin's drave
gawkin at the lan




harbour stroll  -
the morning's catch
staring at the land

Tuesday, August 02, 2011

a haun muives
i the aul-warl shop winnock
swappin centuries




a hand moves
in the antique - shop window
swopping centuries

Monday, August 01, 2011

abuin the spire
the sin
...sinflooer




above the spire
the sun
...sunflower

Saturday, July 23, 2011

geeglin frae
the gairden pairty  -  bummers
ligg stappit wi nectar




giggling
from the garden party  -
bees lie sated with nectar

Friday, July 22, 2011

flichterin
in'r glesses
pages o a thriller




flickering
in her glasses
pages of a thriller

Friday, July 15, 2011

the bodach  -
his dug
daunerin'm




the old man  -
his dog
walking him

Monday, July 11, 2011

maisic rant
weet
ruffin on the tent




music festival
rain
drumming on the tent

Saturday, July 02, 2011

yella gowans
lip-fou
o sinlicht




buttercups
brimming
with sunlight

Thursday, June 30, 2011

nebs tae the sin  -
faither mither bairns
gowans




faces to the sun  -
father mother children
daisies

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

sheddae o's dreepin stug  -
hern bydin
fir the cygnets




shadow of his dripping spike  -
heron waiting
for the cygnets

Saturday, June 11, 2011

chyngin o the gaird
a ballet
in reid




changing of the guard
a ballet
in red

Wednesday, June 08, 2011

i the gairden
the bleckie dillin
the bodach's lanesomeness




in the garden
the blackbird soothing
the old man's loneliness

Friday, June 03, 2011

efter the yowe-trummle  -
the braes
fou o mean ghaists




after the sheep-shearing  -
the hills
full of angular ghosts
weirin neebors  -
throuch the palin a rose
offerin itsel




warring neighbours  -
through the fence a rose
offering itself

Thursday, June 02, 2011

yokit on bi a gang
o speuggies  -  maggie
draps a fite fedder




mugged by a gang
of sparrows  -  magpie
drops a white feather

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Voar ferr  -
crans
ding-dangin




Spring fair  -
swifts
helter-skeltering

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

ahint the graffitied waa:
the kirk's lown 
unscufft...unscuffable




behind the graffitied wall:
the church's silence 
untouched...untouchable

Monday, May 23, 2011

tick tock...
the bombed bairn
pendles on's stilts




tick tock...
the bombed child
pendulums on his crutches

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

monks
cleedit in fite
pensefu caunles




monks
robed in white
wistful candles

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

amang the bleck swans
yin fite yin 
muin an cluds




among the black swans
one white one 
moon and clouds

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

day-daw cushat,
eenin bleckie  -  an atween:
The Magnificat




dawn wood-pigeon,
evening blackbird  -  and between:
The Magnificat


(Clare priory pilgrimage)

Monday, May 02, 2011

maw  -
the fite kinches
o's cantrips




gull  -
the white loops
of his antics

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

the auld clishmaclaver  -
her mools
narrest the squaiky yett




the old gossip  -
her grave
nearest the squeaky gate

Saturday, April 23, 2011

the day I glisked
the yalla gowan's ghaist 
afore it sauntit




today I glimpsed
the dandelion's ghost
before it disappeared

Thursday, April 21, 2011

i the priest's gairden
Easter robes
o the fite haw-tree




in the priest's garden
Easter robes
of white hawthorn
alang the burnside
Lenten robes
o purpie lilyoak




along the riverside
Lenten robes
of purple lilac

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

spadesfou o yirth
lowpin frae a bore  -
sang o the hoddit chiel




shovelsfull of earth
leaping from a hole  -
song of the unseen man

Monday, April 18, 2011

his hameless chiel's neb
hauns threipin tae Goad
the towe streetchin tae heiven




his homeless man's face
hands talking to God
the rope stretching to heaven


(St John Ogilivie by Peter  Howson)

Friday, April 15, 2011

fooneral mornin  -
maws wauken me
wi thair greitin




funeral morning  -
gulls waken me
with their keening

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

amang the gean tree's
tosie petals
bummers rhapsodize




among the cherry tree's
warm petals
bees rhapsodize

Thursday, April 07, 2011

sauch primpin in green  -
oot ower the lugs
i the burn's keekin-gless




willow dressing in green  -
absorbed
in the stream's looking-glass

Tuesday, April 05, 2011

camellia flourishin  -
a hunner craigs
souchin




camellia blossoming  -
a hundred throats
singing

Sunday, April 03, 2011

the claggie spreid
o faw'n fegs  -  wesps
deein clean awa wi't




the sticky spread
of fallen figs  -  wasps
dying ecstatically

Monday, March 28, 2011

daffins
gien as a mindin  -
lowe fir days




daffodils
given as a gift  -
glow for days

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

watterside forsythia:
lichtin
unnerwatter coves




riverside forsythia:
lighting
underwater caverns
buttery
hings abuin ma apen buik
...flutherin pages




butterfly hovers
above my open book
...fluttering pages

Thursday, March 17, 2011

ristin efter chemo
he reflecks:
the gairden's sheeny buds




resting after chemo
he ponders:
the garden's shiny buds

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

the mornin
souchs voar
awthing swalls




the morning
breathes spring
everything swells

Monday, March 14, 2011

raxin owre
the bealin watters
a brainch o bricht gean buds




stretching over
the raging waters
a branch of bright cherry buds

(for japan's sadness)

Tuesday, March 08, 2011

mornin tirl -
the wino's tuim bottle
girnin




morning breeze -
the wino's empty bottle
moaning

Monday, March 07, 2011

bleck bawdrons
skews tae leuk -
yalla o daffins




black cat
turns to look -
yellow of daffodils

Friday, March 04, 2011

snell merch wund -
aw airts
the green stobs o voar




bitter march wind -
everywhere
the green spikes of spring

Monday, February 28, 2011

ablow the brig
a lown puil - a dauner
intae the pictur




below the bridge
a still pool - I wander
into the picture

Thursday, February 24, 2011

furst gran-bairn -
balloons leasht tae the yett
...swellt chists




first grandchild -
balloons tied to the gate
...swollen chests

Sunday, February 20, 2011

i the birk's
bricht brainches a craw's nest:
derk slum




in the birch's
bright branches a crow's nest:
dark slum

Friday, February 18, 2011

voar mornin -
the hedge
chirms fir aw'ts wirth




spring morning -
the hedge
sings for all its worth

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

the auld fushwife
sits steekin -
her siller needle dertin




the old fishwife
sits sewing -
her silver needle darting

Monday, February 14, 2011

valentine's day -
a furst daffin
apens its hert




valentine's day -
a first daffodil
opens its heart

Thursday, February 10, 2011

oot frae the x-ray dept.
intae the sin
...an apened flooer




out from the x-ray dept.
into the sun
...an opened flower

Tuesday, February 08, 2011

linn -
throuch the pearl's rouk
the bodach skews




waterfall -
through the cataract's mist
the old man squints

Saturday, February 05, 2011

chitterin
amang the snawdraps:
the coot's bunt




flickering
among the snowdrops:
the coot's tail

Thursday, February 03, 2011

'plowp'
o a stane drapt
...whaur the makar gaed ablow




'plop'
of a stone dropped
...where the poet went under
lichtnin
laggin
on the snawdraps




lightning
lingering
on the snowdrops

Tuesday, February 01, 2011

twa craws
dice up ilk ither:
graithin fir voar




two crows
preen each other:
dressing for spring

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

faither's but-an-ben
aw sticks an staves -
fusslin i the wund




father's cottage
in ruins -
whistling in the wind

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

weir-riven ceetie -
oot ower the flagpole
maw spreids'r fite weengs




war-torn city -
on top of the flagpole
gull spreads her white wings

Monday, January 24, 2011

in yin ivvergreen
backlan:
maggis,craws,bleckies,maws




in one evergreen
tenement:
magpies,crows,blackbirds,gulls
tapsalteerie blue bonnet
tentie
o the tapsalteerie makar




upsidedown blue tit
watching
the upsidedown poet

Friday, January 21, 2011

fou muin -
licht
at the en o the cundie




full moon -
light
at the end of the tunnel

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

wund throuch
the bombed-oot hames -
dowie chanter




wind through
the bombed-out homes -
sad flute

Monday, January 17, 2011

the bodach
hirples alang -
bonnie kirstals growe in's bluid




the old man
hobbles along -
beautiful crystals grow in his blood

Sunday, January 16, 2011

cluds,
wund wirkit
...thunner o cluifs




clouds,
wind herded
...thunder of hooves

Saturday, January 15, 2011

en
o a vaige upstream:
speirins o a hamecomin




end
of a journey upstream:
news of a birth

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

throu the fooneral:
the soun o mizzlin frost
jynin the muckle burn




during the funeral:
the sound of melting ice
joining the great stream

Monday, January 10, 2011

kirk swaree -
the crippilt cailleach
dauncin




church social -
the crippled lady
dancing

Wednesday, January 05, 2011

wunter lift
panderin
amang the firs




winter sky
drifting
amongst the pines

Saturday, January 01, 2011

ne'erday -
a dub o boak
i the set o africa




new year's day -
a puddle of vomit
in the shape of africa