wunter blowster  -
on nakit brainches
speuggies' rodeo




winter storm  -
on naked branches
sparrows' rodeo

fegs!
the wrang kirkyaird
...craws gairdin the yetts




oops!
the wrong cemetery
...crows guarding the gates

Yule fluidin  -
an unnerwatter
shooglin-cuddie




Christmas  flooding  -
an underwater
rocking-horse

Yule e'en  -
neist tae the crib
blawort brustin intae life




Christmas eve  -
next to the crib hyacinths
bursting into life

trystin wi an auld fere  -
the monie gaps
in's gams




meeting an old friend  -
the many gaps
in his teeth

cluds bairge
crecks kythe
...lichtnin




clouds collide
cracks appear
...lightning

crematorium  -
hungert craws
roond the lum




crematorium  -
hungry crows
round the chimney

i the nursery gairden
they stoor'n tummle
...skwurrels




in the nursery garden
they race and tumble
...squirrels

coffee  -
oam sweels'n shoogles
...sambas o Brazil




coffee  -
steam swirls and shakes
...sambas of Brazil

transmugrifee'd  -
her umberellae
tae a siller attercap




metamorphosed  -
her umbrella
to a silver spider

the chinee lassie's smirk  -
aw day:
cluds, flooers, bawdrons... smirkin




the chinese girl's smile  -
all day:
clouds, flowers, cat...smiling

chinee hameless -
ootby's cairdboard hoose
...his shuin




chinese homeless -
outside his cardboard house
...his shoes

wunter's nakit brainches -
Alzheimer patients
gove throuch the taigilment




winter's bare branches -
Alzheimer patients
gaze through the entanglement

snarlt mappie -
govin oop
it craw's bleck corss




snared rabbit -
gazing up
at crow's black cross

dreich mornin -
umberellaes
mushroomin




wet morning -
umbrellas
mushrooming

shairly gliskit
frae space:
Yirth's caunles fir the deid



surely seen
from space:
Earth's candles for the dead

amang the sterns
a skimmerin daunce
...fireflees




among the stars
a glittering dance
...fireflies

mallard deuks
bobbin in a reeng
...emerant carket




mallard ducks
bobbing in a circle
...emerald necklace

november tirl
throuch the wab -
a deid flee dirls




november breeze
through the web -
a dead fly quivers

(All Souls' Day)

ablow the rodden tree
the cailleach reddin snaw
...her reid neb




below the rowan tree
the old lady clearing snow
...her red nose

aneath the tree
the bodach dovers
hapt in a wab




beneath the tree
the old man dozes
wrapped in a web

aneath
the persimmon tree
bawdrons' yalla een




beneath
the persimmon tree
cat's yellow eyes

breist clinic  -
blitheness i the een
o a fyow




breast clinic  -
joy in the eyes
of a few

hairst -
unnerwatter leaves
ooplichtin the burn





autumn -
submerged leaves
uplighting the stream

skairin
the bluid i ma veins  -
mosquito




sharing
the blood in my veins  -
mosquito

a clair blae lift  -
contrails
steekin the warl thegither




a clear blue sky  -
contrails
stitching the world together

hallae e'en  -
the dirlin skellets
o deid leaves




halloween  -
the rattling skeletons
of dead leaves

peerie laddie pishin  -
ettles tae shoot doon
a bygaun flee




little boy pissing  -
tries to shoot down
a passing fly

a lang life
o bricht sins:
the persimmon tree




a lifetime
of bright suns:
the persimmon tree

persimmons
faw an daise
...croonin o the bummers




persimmons
fall and rot
...singing of the bees

nicht fushin  -
wi the muin an orion...
pisces




night fishing  -
with the moon and orion...
pisces

tirran's stookie  -
liggs a derkness
on the yirth




tyrant's statue  -
lays a darkness
on the earth

unner
the persimmon tree
sketchin wi wurds




under
the persimmon tree
sketching with words

sauch leaves faw
ligg as threepin picturs:
tree wi muin




willow leaves fall
lie as ideograms:
tree with moon

the leaves hae gane
lea'in
a derk scart




the leaves have gone
leaving
a dark scribble

chestane rodden an birk  -
hairst lichts
throuch the glen




chestnut rowan and birch  -
autumn lights
through the valley

indian simmer  -
bummers'
lang sheddaes



indian summer  -
bees'
long shadows

kingfisher
brung blae tae the mornin,
dookin he eikit siller




kingfisher
brought blue to the morning,
diving he added silver

throuch the onding
the bodach wyves  -  fou?
...leaky shuin!




through the downpour
the old man weaves  -  drunk?
...leaky shoes!

granfaither's hose  -
she skooshes a wattergaw
ontae the pansies



grandfather's hose  -
she sprays a rainbow
onto the pansies

riven jazz poster  -
bitties o blae
i the wund




torn jazz poster  -
bits of blue
in the wind

hairst blaws in  -
e'en the dub
chitterin




autumn blows in  -
even the pond
shivering

pewlin wund  -
the wab
boos lik the blues




wailing wind  -
the web
bends like the blues

ootby the maisic chaumer
twa youthie maws
...ettlin tae git in tuin




outside the music room
two young gulls
...trying to get in tune

whaur the wattergaw
skifft the burn
a kingfisher




where the rainbow
touched the stream
a kingfisher

hameless
doverin on the baunk
...whaur the watter skites the clints




homeless
sleeping on the riverbank
...where the water hits the rocks

bairns
smirks's bricht as berries
nou this mingin cargae...weir




children
smiles as bright as berries
now this rotting cargo...war

nicht watchie
daein's roonds  -
fou muin




night watchman
doing his rounds  -
full moon

she maks a purpie sin
wi playdough
...an fettles a brucken sodger




she makes a purple sun
with playdough
...and mends a broken soldier

a day bairnsittin  -
granny geegles
an wammles in'r sloum




a day babysitting  -
grandmother giggles
and wriggles in her sleep

jennie-lang-legs
lowst frae the wab
dis a wee daunce




cranefly
freed from the web
does a little dance

his hinmaist eemage:

a butterie it rist...

syne een steekit...weengs apened

his last image:

a butterfly at rest...

then eyes closed...wings opened

Tai Chi  -
dugs reeng'm yowlin
...dae they snowk teeger?




Tai Chi  -
dogs surround him barking
...do they smell tiger?

liggin hert tae hert
tentie
o the rackets




lying heart to heart
listening
to the fireworks

auld pictur frame

leukin throuch't...
ilk sicht a maisterpiece

old picture frame  

looking through it...

each scene a masterpiece

bricht sin  -
fir'r burthday granfaither
weirs a claen sark




bright sun  -
for her birthday grandad
wears a clean shirt

lit caunles
tears as they mouten  -
Nagasaki day




lit candles
tears as they melt  -
Nagasaki day

gladioli  -
life raxin
tae the tapmaist heid




gladioli  -
life aspiring
to the topmost head

butterie druckenly
ettlin tae win awa
frae the lavender




butterfly drunkenly
trying to leave
the lavender

hungower
he hings ower the brig
...oh fir the wit o deuks




hungover
he hangs over the bridge
...oh for the wisdom of ducks

striddlin etins
as the sin muves athort
...trees' sheddaes




striding giants
as the sun moves across
...trees' shadows

bi'r lair a poke o bluid  -
ootby the winnock
rodden berries




by her bed a bag of blood  -
outside the window
rowan berries

a vause o lilies
dreepin pollen
an: a Jackson Pollock




a vase of lilies
dripping pollen
and: a Jackson Pollock

staunin i the perk
heicher nor the bairns
...hern




standing in the park
taller than the children
...heron

a fowerteen billion year
vaig
cums cleedit in sinflooers




a fourteen billion year
journey
comes dressed in sunflowers

siller sin -
a drapt quinie
i the burn




silver sun -
a dropped coin
in the stream

mornin glore
tootles seelently
...droonin oot awthing




morning glory
trumpets silently
...drowning out everything

barbecue -
the sin's licht skirls
amang the links




barbecue -
the sun's light sizzles
amongst the sausages

fuchsia bell
dirlin
...eydent bummer




fuchsia bell
reverbrating
...busy bee

speuggies gaither
ablow thair parrysols
...wull roobrub




sparrows gather
beneath their parasols
...wild rhubarb

alzheimers -
a tak'm fushin,
aneath the scruif
sheddaed draves



alzheimers -
I take him fishing,
beneath the surface
shadowy shoals

he sayed he seen
the Almichtie daunce yince
...reid-crooned crans




he said he saw
God dance once
...red-crowned cranes

yer peerie bouet
sweengin doon the causey -
fireflee




your tiny lamp
swinging down the street -
firefly

hou the sin
pents the dub
in sheds o emerant




how the sun
paints the pond
in shades of green

shooglin the beddie -
i the winnock
a crescent muin




rocking the cradle -
in the window
a crescent moon

in fawin weet
a bleckie
...brawer nor musardrie




in falling rain
a blackbird
...finer than poetry

fou
he coonts the sterns
cryin thaim gowans




drunk
he counts the stars
calling them daisies

faither's day -
we hunker bondit
craw an me




father's day -
we sit bonded
crow and I

i the gairden  -
peer tree an wund
warstlin




in the garden  -
pear tree and wind
wrestling

craw an leprone
flee aff
tae cum yin




crow and baby rabbit
fly off
to become one

crescent muin
i the winnock
parasnuvin attercap




crescent moon
in the window
paragliding spider

simmer lift  -
atween the leaves
blae butteries




summer sky  -
between the leaves
blue butterflies

the cailleach hunkers
tae incaa  -  a cruived burd
thrabs it the winnock




the old lady kneels
to pray  -  a trapped bird
beats at the window

harlin hey
he skews tae waff
...droonin in butteries




raking hay
he turns to wave
...drowning in butterflies

a shilfie  -
sae colourfou
it sud threip




a chaffinch  -
so colourful
it should speak

muin
on a shank
coo persel




moon
on a stalk
cow parsley

tentie o the bygaun burn
a hauflin
taen tent o bi a bodach




watching the passing stream
a youth
watched by an old man

backlan kettle  -
granny wows thaim
wi'r gowan- cheens




ghetto picnic  -
grandmother  wows them
with her daisy-chains

skirlin
granfaither an bairn  -
fingers in's baird




screaming
grandfather and child  -
fingers in his beard

craw cecks  -
a fite muin
showls i the burn




crow shits  -
a white moon
distorts in the stream

craw hunkers aside me
blenkin a morse code
wi thae eerie een




crow sits beside me
blinking a morse code
with those weird eyes

soond o rowin chuckies  -
craw fushin
i the shallaes




sound of rolling rocks  -
crow  fishing
in the shallows

dunt on the kist  -
yirth frae an Irish brae
tae a Scots brae




thump on the coffin  -
earth from an Irish hill
to a Scottish hill

sparks skite
athort the gless
...dauncers on ice




raindrops skid
across the glass
...dancers on ice

throuch gean flourish
the weet  -
sterny  plainstanes




through cherry blossom
the rain  -
starry pavement

hauf-wey up

the cherry tree  --  snail

husnae leukit doon yit!

half-way up 

the cherry tree  -  snail

hasn't looked down yet!

bowsie bawdrons
losses agane
...speuggies hunker chirmin




fat cat
loses again
...sparrows sit singing

craw dooks's breid
i the burn
...intincter




crow dips his bread
in the stream
...intincter

mouin butteries:
her quate leid
...the gean




uttering butterflies:
her silent language
...the rose

doverin lang  -
the tulips
this year




sleeping late  -
the tulips
this year

voar drames
in yalla:
daffins




spring dreams
in yellow:
daffodils

mey brides
wi thair bobs
...gean treen




may brides
with their bouquets
...cherry trees

a vause
o wullflooers
lichtenin the kirk



a vase
of wildflowers
brightening the church

burds gaitherin
ryss an strae  -
athort perks a babbie greits




birds gathering
twig and straw  -
across fields a baby cries

hern grippit
i the wample
o the minnons




heron rapt
in the wriggle
of the minnows

a guiss fedder
scrievin
on the wund




a goose feather
writing
on the wind

govein up it
the blue-bonnet
moose shoort wi shalls




gazing up at
the blue tit
mouse showered with shells

it the shrine a moose  -

aiblins incaain

...whae kens

at the shrine a mouse  -

perhaps praying

...who knows

keek o day
whin
on the brae




sunrise
gorse
on the hill

suddent
the pish-the-bed batch...
thair stobbie herrcuts




suddenly
the dandelion gang...
their spiky haircuts

the licht's
on agane
i the magnolia




the light's
on again
in the magnolia

the cailleach chitters  -
i the ingle
an attercap's wab




the old lady shivers  -
in the hearth
a spider's web

in a clair puil
bebbles hove up
frae sumhin unsein




in a clear pool
bubbles rise
from something unseen

cancer, canker  -
gye sib
the bodach an's aipple tree




cancer, canker  -
very alike
the old man and his apple tree

fou muin  -
a'm stertilt
bi ma sheddae




full moon  -
i'm startled
by my shadow

in perfit quate
a singul daffin
lichtens the day




in utter silence
a single daffodil
brightens the day

fou muin --
daffins
skew thair heids





full moon  -
daffodils
turn their heads

the jylt banker's hoose  -
i the winnock
a bairn's abacus




the jailed banker's house  -
in the window
a child's abacus

throuch stainit gless
the sin  -
worshipers o ilka colour




through stained glass
the sun  -
worshipers of every colour

weedower  -
in's waddin reeng
Pace caunles blinter




widower  -
in his wedding ring
Easter candles flicker

yin haun he quat
in Helmand  -  wi the
ither he gaithers dowts




one hand he left
in Helmand  -  with the
other he gathers fag-ends

hurkle-bane surgery  -
on the wa
Degas' ballerinas




hip replacement surgery  -
on the wall
Degas' ballerinas

Swan Lake  -
she snuves athort
the widden watter




Swan Lake  -
she glides across
the wooden water

i the gairden
faither an bleckie
colloguin




in the garden
father and blackbird
talking

dumpin's baw

heich the err

...day o an eclipse

kicking his ball

high in the air

...day of an eclipse

voar mornin  -
twa gowden retrievers
stoor towarts the sin




spring morning  -
two golden retrievers
race towards the sun

daffins
bress baund  -
voar concert




daffodils
brass band  -
spring concert

ilka year aye
sterts wi a riddie  -
gean flourish




every year still
starts with a blush  -
cherry blossom

auld kipple
skin an bane
...hoose o attercaps




old couple
skin and bone
...house of spiders

we aw win awa
frae the lairside  -
aw bit a hingin gled




we all leave
the graveside  -
all but a hanging hawk

tuim gardevine  -

i the snawdraps the broozilt

ootline o luvers

empty wine-bottle  -

in the snowdrops the crushed

outline of lovers

herrcut  -
a laddie
hauds forrit




haircut  -
a boy
steps forth

babbie apens an ee
a glisk a lift
whaur twa doos flee




baby opens an eye
I see a sky
where two pigeons fly

fou muin  -
a hameless chiel's ashet
slaikit clean




full moon  -
a homeless man's plate
licked clean

wund throuch
the refugee camp  -
orchestrae o banes




wind through
the refugee camp  -
orchestra of bones

fooneral Mass -
in the bicker
a deid flee




funeral Mass -
in the chalice
a dead fly

blue bonnets
yammer an taisle  -
time tae hing the nest-box




blue tits
chatter an tease  -
time to hang the nest-box

the pipies
new bairn  -
reid plufft chafts




the piper's
new baby  -
red puffed cheeks

mageecian bairn
apens a fan o deuks
at'r feet




magician child
opens a fan of ducks
at her feet

fou o tears

the ingan

an me

full of tears

the onion

and I

voar sinsheen

the maple's brainches skimmer  -

auld banes wairmin

spring sunshine

the maple's branches glitter  -

old bones warming

her peerie mappie

sclims the wa  -

babbie's fingers i the sin

her little rabbit

climbs the wall  -

baby's fingers in the sun

sin-worshippers'
weir-daunce
...midges




sun-worshippers'
war-dance
...midges

furrin lassie
her suddron puir...
lip-reengs,tung-studs




foreign girl
her english poor...
lip-rings,tongue-studs

throuch the kirkyaird's
wutherins
a reid spat o life...rab




through the churchyard's
witherings
a red spot of life...robin

fykie bairn
ye hae nivver seen
hungert een
or bouks licht as licht




fussy child
you've never seen
hungry eyes
or bodies light as light

the cailleach's
poke o crottles pluffs
intae a stramash o maws




the old lady's
bag of crumbs explodes
into a chaos of gulls

butterie
yin flutherin
page...




butterfly
one fluttering
page...

fir aw oor genocide
life aye forgies us
...snawdraps




for all our genocide
life still forgives us
...snowdrops

auschwitz day  -
caunles...
puils o tallie




auschwitz day  -
candles...
pools of tallow

piece time  -
amang the dorbie's graith
Reid Rab




lunch time  -
amongst the mason's tools
a robin

hern yirthin
untaiglin frae the
parrychute o's sel




heron landing
untangling from the
parachute of himsel

 i the lairside vause
anely
flooers o freest




in the graveside vase
only
flowers of frost

fower rinners
stour fir the line
...attercap's  trams threshin




four runners
race for the line
...spider's legs thrashing

muin i the winnock  -
the bairn groozles
balancin't on'r tae




moon in the window  -
the baby gurgles
balancing it on her toe

on the fitpad
a gowdfush  -
gawpin at it aw




on the footpath
a goldfish  -
open-mouthed at it all

haingles blues   -
stertin tae laith
the cuckoo-clock




flu blues  -
starting to hate
the cuckoo-clock