hogmanay
a yirdin
...settin voar bulbs




last day of the year
a funeral
...planting spring bulbs

galilee
maws skirlin  -
samen leid as it hame




galilee
gulls screaming  -
same language as at home

i the wee-oors
attercap
a'ready weavin




early morning
spider
already knitting

Yule e'en  -
a fou muin
lichts up the byre




Christmas eve  -
a full moon
lights up the cowshed

whit wye
weet chafts it the station  -
life gaes naewhaur




why
tears at the station  -
life goes nowhere

his team beat...agane   -
myndins
fouin the bucket




his team beaten...again  -
memorabilia
filling the dustbin

sin snaw or weet
wullie wagtail
never no waffin's bunt




sun snow or rain
wagtail never not
wagging his tail

keek-o-day  -
the lift reiddens
blearin the Yule lichts




dawn  -
the sky reddens
dimming the Christmas lights

hunkert roon the ingle
thay'r tentie o the dramas
i the lowes




sitting round the fire
they watch the dramas
in the flames

Yule  -
i the  winnock
tree's stoundin hert




Christmas  -
in the window
tree's pulsing heart

sclimin fawin
sclimin fawin  -
wunter flee reengin fir feres




climbing falling
climbing falling  -
winter fly searching for friends

hematuria  -
a stap ower
a singul rodden berry




hematuria  -
I step over
a single rowan berry

freesty plainstanes  -
hairst leaves
set in a scrapbuik




icy pavements  -
autumn leaves
fixed in a scrapbook

this mornin sic sheenin  -
muin, venus,
an bawdrons' fuskers




this morning such shining  -
moon, venus,
and cat's whiskers

alzheimer's  -
on a seelent sea
her boattie adrift




alzheimer's  -
on a silent sea
her boat adrift

retourin
her leebrary beuks  -
a pokefou o crangs




returning
her library books  -
a bagful of corpses

armistice  -
a bullet-tasht helm
...soond o a moothie




armistice -
a bullet-holed helmet
...sound of a harmonica

scartin the caur winnock  -
speuggie stobs
it a jeelt dub




scraping the car window  -
sparrow stabs
at a frozen puddle

votin day  -
ootby the pairlament
a joogler




voting day  -
outside the parliament
a juggler

hou sunken trock
maks eemages on the burn
(alang cam jung!)




how sunken debris
makes images on the stream
(along came jung!)

auld schuil dictionar  -
its pages turnt doon it
minge an mons




old school dictionary  -
its pages turned down at
minge and mons

depairtin the kirk
throuch fawin leaves
...a stainit-gless winnock




leaving the church
through falling leaves
...a stained-glass window

a bowl o sweeties
fir the guisers  -
she derns it frae granfaither




a bowl of sweets
for the trick or treaters  -
she hides it from grandfather

the postie
tint in e-fag reek
...ma douce reekin mail




the postman
lost in e-cigarette smoke
...my sweet smelling mail

the sweel
o bairns cheevyin leaves
cheevyin bairns




the whirlpool
of children chasing leaves
chasing children

jealous  -
hairst treen
lossin wecht




jealous  -
autumn trees
losing weight

hairst  -
danderin throuch
this airtist's exheebeetion




autum  -
wandering through
this artist's exhibition

poorin weet  -
the hale gairden
dauncin




pouring rain  -
the whole garden
dancing

jazz throuch
the apen winnock  -
maggie bops frae side tae side




jazz through
the open window  -
magpie bops from side to side

i the muinlit squerr
bawdrons  -
his bell plinkin




in the moonlit square
cat  -
his bell twinkling

fir a new granbairn
she lichts a caunle
...peerie lowe souchin




for a new grandchild
she lights a candle
...tiny flame breathing

i the maisic chaumer
the flee derns
amang the crochets




in the music room
the fly hides
amongst the crochets

hame frae the vinyaird  -
his purpie colourt
shuin




home from the vineyard  -
his purple coloured
shoes

midnicht dander  -
wairmth yit
i the monastery waa




midnight stroll  -
warmth yet
in the monastery wall

fou muin
midnicht skooker
...monastery bawdrons




full moon
midnight prowler
...monastery cat

ristin here
whaur the bodachs yince ristit
...an a wis youthie an scowthin




resting here
where the old men once rested
...and I was young and mocking

meditatin bi the dub
a leaf faws in  -
an ee apens...apens...




meditating by the pond
a leaf falls in  -
an eye/I opens...opens...

mornin hermony  -
a bygaun bummer
a bike's croonin tyres




morning harmony  -
a passing bee
a  bicycle's singing tyres

nursery gairden  -
her yalla gowen sin
in a witch bell lift




nursery garden  -
her marigold sun
in a cornflower sky

hame frae sneddin treen  -
ilka chaumer a hunker in
reekin o fir




home from thinning trees  -
every room I sit in
smelling of pine

on the auld aik
luver's ineetials
...growne tae an ugsome skaith




on the old oak
lover's initials
...grown to an ugly wound

kail-wirm  -
on a kail leaf
grand crochet wark




caterpillar  -
on a cabbage leaf
excellent crochet work

auld toon squerr  -
a generation hunkert
aneath cluds o fag reek




old town square  -
a generation sitting
beneath clouds of cigarette smoke

maw  -
fechtin the schuil-laddie
fir's piece




gull  -
fighting the schoolboy
for his lunch

deuks in a raw  -
myndin
mither's scullery wa




ducks in a row  -
remembering
mother's kitchen wall

idle  -
ilka day bygane
the sunken boattie




unemployed  -
every day passing
the sunken boat

anither burthday  -
slawly sauntin
on her new scooter




another birthday  -
slowly disappearing
on her new scooter

haar's cantraips:
attercap's ghaistly warl
hauds forrit




magical mist:
spider's ghostly world
steps forward

a hunner the day  -
in'r gairden
a gledsome fleeby




a hundred today  -
in her garden
a joyous flypast

neist
tae'r drame cleeker
attercap's wab




beside
her dream catcher
spider's web

danderin aside's wheelcheer
she cairrys's tram
...pynts trigly bund




walking beside his wheelchair
she carries his leg
...laces neatly tied

heich on the err:
butteries, thrissledoon
...whilk?




high on the air:
butterflies, thistledown
...which?

a reid admiral's
juist drapt bye
...winkin on a clint




a red admiral's
just dropped in
...winking on a rock

tod's left
a bing o bleck fedders
...the sang is gane




fox has left
a pile of black feathers
...the song is gone

the workie's cran
flings its widdie sheddae
ower the daffin perks




the builder's crane
casts its gallows shadow
over the playing fields

on a lanely peth
snowkin a wull rose
...bummer shoves in




on a lonely path
smelling a wild rose
...bee pushes in
.

the Buddha's hauns
fouin wi weet
...peerie burds sowpin




the Buddha's hands
filling with rain
...little birds drinking

doverin in'r lair  -
ma heid ristin
whaur the tooth-fairy hunkert




sleeping in her bed  -
my head resting
where the tooth-fairy sat

aw day
pouin berries
tae the bummers' wark sang




all day
picking fruit
to the bees' work song

drocht  -
saumon duntin
intae clints




drought  -
salmon bumping
into rocks

weetin'sel
the drouthie
flings miscawins it the Mosque




wetting himself
the drunk
flings abuse at the Mosque

eenin concert  -
the tuba chiel
gaithers aw the sinsheen




evening concert  -
the tuba player
gathers all the sunshine

apenin the hingers  -
aye poorin
...hivier the-day




opening the curtains  -
still raining
...heavier today

( for Angelee Deodhar)

stravaigin hoaliday  -
e'en ma sheddae's
sair




walking holiday  -
even my shadow
hurting

heizin frae the meedie
gay luvers
in daunce o butteries




rising from the meadow
gay lovers
in a dance of butterflies

claucht up
i the mawin  -
hauf a bummer




caught up
in the mowing  -
half a bee

unnerwatter wrack  -
locks o a river
stoorin on




underwater weeds  -
tresses of a river
rushing on

on a brainch
yin craw preens anither
...sappie in'ts derkness




on a branch
one crow preens another
...tender in its darkness

life's roond  -
a faither's day cart
frae a faither




life's cycle  -
a father's day card
from a father

rin-ower pheasie
...tasht
wattergaw




run-over pheasant
...crushed
rainbow

Zen maister

sic pace an caum

...years owerseein the swans

Zen master

such peace and tranquillity

...years tending the swans

mavis's egg  -
craw
dookin intae the reid-baw




thrush's egg  -
crow
dipping into the yolk

simmer hings
in a hinmaist berry
...sweirt tae plook it




summer hangs
in a last berry
...loath to pluck it

efter the bombin
the wae soond
o a moothie




after the bombing
the sad sound
of a harmonica

nursery's
watterside kettle
...gaislins stoorin, duntin




nursery's
riverside picnic
...goslings running, bumping

granfaither admires'r
nursery pentin
...she birls it richt wey up




grandfather admires
her nursery painting
...she turns it right way up

aw the wye tae the kirk
a butterie
jiggin




all the way to church
a butterfly
dancing

gym cless  -
athort the perk
cairtwheels rowin




gym class  -
across the park
cartwheels rolling

abuin the burn
crans'n midgies
in a deidly daunce




above the stream
swifts and mosquitos
in a deadly dance

ootby the zendo
on fluffert watter
the caum souch o swans




outside the zendo
on ruffled water
the peace of swans

incaains fir a caum souch  -
sheddae o a maw
muives athort us




prayers for peace  -
shadow of a gull
moves across us

efter'r bath
stick-chiels
gove throuch the winnock




after her bath
stick-men
gaze through the window

maggie haein dafferie
surfin
gowsts o wund




magpie having fun
surfing
gusts of wind

ootby the zendo
a bummer
thrang i the rose's heid




outside the zendo
a bee
busy in the rose's head

sneddin fruit busses  -
news wins in
o a cancer growein




pruning fruit bushes  -
news arrives
of a cancer growing

bleckies stushie -
yalla nebs
blent i the sin




blackbirds squabble  -
yellow beaks
flash In the sun

lowsin the bummer  -
feelin  the draucht
o's scowth




freeing the bee  -
feeling the draught
of his freedom

hauf-wye up the tree
bawdrons jalouses
he's ower auld




half-way up the tree
cat realises
he's too old

deid doo:
i the hert's howe
derk bluid reflectin a warl




dead pigeon:
in the heart's cavity
dark blood reflecting a world

a bairn's teeth merks
i the fause fruit
...firbidden fruit




a child's teeth marks
in the ornamental fruit
...forbidden fruit

bangster maggie  -
jealous
o bleckie's sang




bully magpie  -
jealous
of blackbird's song

the baw liggs atween thaim
dug'n maister  -
auld'n jaupit




the ball lies between them
dog and master  -
old and weary

steekin
the gairden yett a
hinmaist bummer wins awa




closing
the garden gate
a last bee leaves

Pace  -
bairns rowe thair eggs
threy craws hing on pikit weer




Easter  -
children roll their eggs
three crows hang on barbed wire

deef he taks tent
o the bleckie's neb
...furm o the sang i the braith




deaf he watches
the blackbird's beak
...shape of the song in the breath

voar's taen
buds swall  -  derk neuks
lit up in daffin licht



spring's taken
buds swell  -  dark corners
lit up in daffodil light

cloody day  -
bawdrons
staps on sinlicht




cloudy day  -
cat
steps on sunlight

attercap an me
stookie-still
...snaggit in a wab o wunnerment




spider and I
stock-still
...caught in a web of wonderment

souch  -
tulip petals faw
...peerie boaties shooglin




breeze  -
tulip petals fall
...little boats rocking

wunter fooneral  -
we stoor intae
the crematorium




winter funeral  -
we rush into
the crematorium

mither's day  -
hauflins reid-nebbed
ahint bobs o flooers




mother's day  -
young men blushing
behind bunches of flowers

hame frae weir  -
yin fuitprent
i the snaw




home from war  -
one footprint
in the snow

in granfaither's gairden
a snawman fir'm
...slawly mizzlin




in grandfather's garden
a snowman for him
...slowly disappearing

maitin granfaither  -
the wye
he yince maitit me




feeding grandfather  -
the way
he once fed me

fiteoot  -
intae the tuim flooer pats
snaw/draps




whiteout  -
into the empty flower pots
snow/drops

leukin oot
on the snawy gairden  -
hou it mocks ma scriever's jam




looking out
on the snowy garden  -
how it mocks my writer's block

caum
efter the onding  -
the gairden: muin's keekin-gless




calm
after the blizzard  -
the garden: moon's mirror

liggin i the fedder-linit
kist o'ts sel:
dung doon swan




lying in the feather-lined
coffin of itself:
shot swan

on the shunkie ruif
bawdrons an doo
easy-oasy i the sin




on the outhouse roof
cat and pigeon
lazy in the sun

throuch the tempel winnock
bairnheid lauchter  -
nae mantra mair muckle




through the temple window
childhood laughter  -
no greater mantra

snell wund  -
furst crocuses
comin ower blae




cold wind  -
first crocuses
turning blue

agane
the mornin bleckie  -
the muin taks a hinmaist peep




again
the morning blackbird  -
the moon takes a last peek

the bodach
maits the maws  -
craws glower...set apairt




the old man
feeds the gulls  -
crows watch...segregated

ahint the boatie
sheddae o a swallae
...cleekit




behind the boat
shadow of a swallow
...anchored

bard
on the heichest brainch:
bleckie  -  his ode tae voar




minstrel
on the highest branch:
blackbird  -  his ode to spring

sae cauld  -
e'en inby
daffins skew tae the ingle




so cold  -
even inside
daffodils turn to the fire

caller snaw  -
a rottan rins ower't
...sica grue




fresh snow  -
a rat runs over it
...such a shiver

a clud's
pit its derk fuit
i the burn




a cloud's
put its dark foot
in the stream

heizin
frae a snawy park:
a yowdendrift o maws




rising
from a snowy field:
a blizzard of gulls

voar  -
the luve bomb
redd




spring  -
the love bomb
primed

gloamin  -
i the lift the kinetic
airt o stuckies




sunset  -
in the sky the kinetic
art of starlings

dowie  -
the craw faimily
ettlin tae croon




sad  -
the crow family
trying to sing

day efter the yirdin  -
burds roon
the tuim brod




day after the funeral  -
birds round
the empty feeder

day o'r yirdin
snaw on the brainches
...syne gane




day of her funeral
snow on the branches
...then gone

myndin bygane Yules
she shoogles
the snaw globe...agane




remembering
Christmasses past she
shakes the snow globe...again

heelster-gowdie  -
efter the blowster
a tree staunin  on'ts brainches




topsy-turvy  -
after the storm
a tree standing on its branches