teuch tymes
teuch meisurs  -
reid lamplicht on'r herr




tough times
tough measures  -
red lamplight on her hair

faimily retour hame
tae fremmit lans
...a turn aff the Yule lichts




family return home
to foreign lands
...I turn off the Christmas lights

postie hame frae wark  -
ahint the door Yule cairds
...his seelent skirl




postman home from work  -
behind the door Christmas cards
...his silent scream

hert dept.  -
Yule tree lichts
...stoondin




cardiac dept  -
Christmas tree lights
...pulsing

raggity
election posters
...clutterin




tattered
election posters
...cluttering

wund
hysts an sattles
hysts an sattles the mornin




wind
lifts and settles
lifts and settles the morning

anither Yule tree  -
ilka thingum a myndin
...rosit clagginess




another Christmas tree  -
each bauble a memory
...resin stickiness

trains airtin northart
echa i the airch
he dovers unner




trains heading north
echo in the arch
he sleeps under

sea souch  -
sclimin the reegin
o a heich-strung net...wabster




sea breeze  -
climbing the rigging
of a high-strung net...spider

carnival nicht
airms fou o teddy-bears  -
sniper hame on leave




carnival night
arms full of teddy-bears  -
sniper home on leave

doverin  -
her cadgin cup
hauden oot in a jeelt haun




asleep  -
her begging cup
held out in a frozen hand

craw
reenges a crisp poke
...hern's sneist




crow
searches a crisp packet
 ...heron's disdain

up an doon
the wab threid
the sin's finger pizzicatos




up and down
the web's thread
the sun's finger pizzicatos

on the platform
eildit trainspotters
...stame poorin frae thayr mous



on the platform
aged trainspotters
...steam pouring from their mouths

hairst leaves fawin  -
on a peerie lassie's heid
a croun




autumn leaves falling  -
on a little girl's head
a crown

freesty mornin 
jookin intae the greenhoose
...a haiku taks ruit




frosty morning 
nipping into the greenhouse
...a haiku takes root

scushin leaves  -
hairst
shenachies




shuffling leaves  -
autumn
storytellers

armistice day
it the rugby cairn
...wull thae ken we touched doon?



armistice day
at the rugby memorial
...will they know we touched down?

owernicht
the wund's added mair
tae the leafy jeegsaw




overnight
the wind's added more
to the leafy jigsaw

quatin the doctor's
a craw follaes me  -
does he ken sumthin?




leaving the doctor's
a crow follows me  -
does he know something?

skwurrel
stoorin alang the wa
...peerie hurdler




squirrel
racing along the wall
...little hurdler

skrank craigs, bauldie-heidit  -
hairst-lik days
fir the pish-the-beds




skinny necks, bald-headed  -
autumnal days
for the dandelions

amang the leaves
chessies oot o thayr shall
...broon een




among the leaves
chestnuts out of their shell
...brown eyes

hairst  -
i the schuil playgrun
the bairgin o conkers




autumn  -
in the school playground
the collision of chestnuts

her heidstane
owersheddain his  -
sib haggle




her headstone
overshadowing his  -
sibling rivalry

waukrife nicht  -
the wastern wund
snocherin i the lum




sleepless night  -
the western wind
snoring in the chimney

unner the rodden tree
he expones
arters an clots




under the rowan tree
he explains
arteries and clots

weet  -
in seelent causeys
the scrinchin o snails




rain  -
in silent streets
the crunching of snails

ma hoaspital marra  -

his waesome

muin neb

my hospital companion  -

his sad

moon face

sheenin i the derk  -
a stern faw'n
frae a git-weill cart




shining in the dark  -
a star fallen
from a get-well card

derk thochts
this mornin
...twa craws




dark thoughts
this morning
...two crows

auld trawlerman
his runkelt brou
...the ebbin tide




the old trawlerman
his wrinkled brow
...the ebbing ocean

efter the wullfire
amang the aises
...glowein puppies




after the wildfire
among the ashes
...glowing poppies

heich watter
sin an leaf freckilt
...stoorin pyot




high water
sun and leaf dappled
...galloping piebald

blues i the err  -
a lazy bummer healds
intae the flooer's tooter




blues in the air  -
a lazy bee leans
into the flower's trumpet

laid aff
he hunkers
happin a bottle o drames




redundant
he sits
nursing a bottle of dreams

efter the blowster
sparks dreepin reid
frae the aipples




after the storm
raindrops dripping red
from the apples

thunner
lichtnin  -
a bedraigilt bummer




thunder
lightning  -
a bedraggled bee

her fite communion dress
her gowden powny-tail
...a lit caunle




her white communion dress
her golden pony-tail
...a lit candle

auld hern gane  -
anely's keech
on the watterside bowder




old heron gone  -
only his droppings
on the riverside boulder

thunner-plump  -
auld cundie gluggin
...soond o droonin




thunderstorm  -
old drain gurgling
...sound of drowing

a daith ilka meenit -
crans
skiff the burn




a death every minute  -
swifts
skim the stream

a skelloch
i the nicht  -
a gnap oot o the muin




a scream
in the night  -
a bite out of the moon

on the waashin-line
his superman outfit
...mither kens best




on the washing-line
his superman suit
...mother knows best

wi yin inbraith
hern concertinas
frae dowdie tae eligant




with one inbreath
heron  concertinas
from ragged to elegant

droont skwurrel 
it's dreepin tail
aw equal-aqual waasht oot




drowned squirrel 
it's dripping tail
all balance washed out

efter the fluid
the deuk
hunts fir'ts bairns




after the flood
the duck
searches for its young ones

midnicht drouthie
braigin:  muin an gin
hae lenthent his sheddae




midnight drunk
challenging:  moon and gin
have lengthened his shadow

it yon age nou:
waukenin i the nicht
chackin ilk ither's braith




at that age now:
waking in the night
checking each others breathing

muin
an firs  -
a neb ahint baurs




moon
and pines  -
a face behind bars

maggie's
cheevy ilk ither
on the ootdoor chess brod




magpies
chase each other
on the outdoor chess board

beekin  -
aw day twa robins:
thayr reid breists




sunbathing  -
all day two robins:
their red breasts

they waff tae ilk ither
frae flooerless gairdens:
twa weedie-men




they wave to each other
from flowerless gardens:
two widowers

crans'r back  -
'blaw affs'
skirl the maws




swifts are back  -
'show offs'
scream the gulls

tentie
o the puils'n'sweels
...the watter's life




watching
the pools and eddies
...the river's life

on the gairden yett
a sheeny new haunle
...snail




on the garden gate
a shiny new handle
...snail

laid back in a bowe- cheer
throuch the winnock
a crescent muin




laid back in an armchair
through the window
a crescent moon

sinlicht throuch
the acer's leaves
...a peerie lassie's blushes




sunlight through
the acer's leaves
...a little girl's blushes

doon it the mou
he hunkers wi the swans
govein it the waater





depressed
he sits with the swans
watching the water

ablow
the stane angel
a stoppit watch




below
the stone angel
a stopped watch

twa craws
heidin hamewarts
cairryin nest plenishins




two crows
heading homeward
carrying nest furnishings

swans doverin
amang pish-the-bed puff baws
...skailt fedders




swans asleep
among dandelion puff balls
...scattered feathers

helterin-skelterin
loopin the loop  -
carnival o crans




heltering-skeltering
looping the loop  -
carnival of swifts

bi the suicide tree
the daffins hae dee'd
...til neist voar




by the suicide tree
the daffodils have died
...until next spring

bygaun jyle van
its derk winnocks
...winnocks o the sowl




passing prison van
its dark windows
...windows of the soul

it the hustins
a shooer o gean flourish
...his rose-tintit glesses




at the hustings a
shower of cherry blossom
...his rose-tinted glasses

liggin on'r
lik a luver
attercap devoors the moch




lying on her
like a luver
spider devours the moth

swan doverin  -
heid buirit i the swan's-doun
o'r sel






swan asleep -
head buried in the swan's-down
of herself

Pace  -
the lamm
dale't aboot




Easter  -
sharing
the lamb

cheevyin maggie awa
craws heich-five
wi thair nebs




chasing magpie away
crows high-five
with their beaks

a bygaun train
the fisher waffs
...nebs heize tae the winnock




a passing train
the fisherman waves
...faces rise to the window

nestin time  -
the hedgeraw
queeverin




nesting time  -
the hedgerow
quivering

delicat pink
as lips
apenin gowan




delicate pink
as lips
opening daisy

bi the watterside
craw dooks intae itsel
...mornin meditation




by the waterside
crow dips into itself
...morning meditation

granfaither's croft  -
aye thair bi the cludgie wa
the doucest groset buss




grandad's croft  -
still there by the privy wall
the sweetest gooseberry bush

bygane geese honk  -
a bodach swithers
it the crib-stane




passing geese honk  -
an old man hesitates
at the kerbside

weet thrabs on'r umberellae
we daunce roond dubs
...drum boogie




rain beats on her umbrella
we dance around puddles
...drum boogie

princes street  -
aw thae buddhas
cors-legit in door-cheeks




princes street  -
all these Buddha's
cross-legged in doorways

bellum frae the nursery  -
a bygaun bleckie
...wirms weiglin




noise from the nursery  -
a passing blackbird
...worms wriggling

dookin an heizin
swans kythin
...luver's kinch




dipping and rising
swans displaying
...lover's knot

lichtenin the mornin  -
sax jazzchiels
...aw deid




lightening the morning  -
six jazzmen
...all dead

amang the pansies
a tortieshall butterie
bein a flooer




among the pansies
a tortoiseshell butterfly
being a flower

butterie
follaein
the daffin steid




butterfly
following
the daffodil path

the aik's brainch
peelt
...breidth o a raip




the oak's branch
rubbed bare
...width of a rope

croonin
telegraph wires
...kintra busker




singing
telegraph wires
...country busker

hame frae nicht-shift  -
sclimin intae
her tosie indent




home from night-shift  -
climbing into
her warm indent

new keekin-gless  -
yon bodach
aye thayr




new mirror  -
that old man
still there

Alzheimer's  -  she hunkers
tentie o the gowk knock
...an thayr'r tears




Alzheimer's  -  she sits
watching the cuckoo clock
...and there are tears

deep i the wuids
a bob o daffins
ringit roon wi caunles




deep in the woods
a bunch of daffodils
surrounded by candles

bumbazed butterie
reengin fir flooers
in februar




bewildered butterfly
searching for flowers
in february

stoorin
tae schuil  -
snawdrap bells shooglin




rushing
to school  -
snowdrop bells shaking

he greits fir geegaws  -
in damascus
bairns daff wi stanes




he cries for toys  -
in damascus
children play with stones

in a quate puil
unnerwatter
craws




in a still pool
underwater
crows

hunkerin on the ledging
wi the maws
...govein




sitting on the parapet
with the gulls
...gazing

yin day thay'll threep:
he maun be deid  -
ma dug-daunerin feres




one day they will say:
he must be dead  -
my dog-walking friends

twa swans preein  -
it's valentine's day
fir thaim an aw




two swans necking  -
it's valentine's day
for them also

granfaither's
hingower dander
...gled it's blowstery




grandfather's
hangover walk
...glad its windy

nicht vaig  -
reengin wavebaunds
...stern threep




night journey  -
searching wavebands
...star talk

Italian waashday  -
heich i the vennel
flags o'r breeks




Italian washday  -
high in the alley
flags of her underwear

ill tid gane
i the freeth
o daffin otters




depression gone
in the froth
of otters at play

furst snaw  -
derk ink o the burn
...haiku on the page




first snow  -
dark ink of the stream
...haiku on the page

a hirplin chiel
amang the craws
...aw sweein in hermony




a limping man
among the crows
...all swaying in harmony

batteries
fir ma shaver
...the years faw awa




batteries
for my shaver
...the years fall away

oor auld pictur hoose
nou a 'steak hoose'
... an the bluid is real




our old cinema
now a 'steak house'
..and the blood is real

hame frae Mass
flauchts on her lips
...crottles o the host




home from Mass
snowflakes on her lips
...crumbs of the host

suddent freest  -
awwhaur
dubs' glerelit een




sudden frost  -
everywhere
puddles' glazed eyes

heich on a lum
maw
skewin's ain style o blues




high on a chimney
gull
bending his own style of blues

roon the flooer staund
the cheetlin
o mucklemercat tills




round the flower stand
the chirping
of supermarket tills

ootby the pairlament
e'en the corbies
bowkin abuiss




outside the parliament
even the crows
spewing abuse

new hearkenin-aid  -
ma pish
tinkles




new hearing-aid  -
my urine
tinkles

fleetin yill bottle
wund athort the neck
...peerie tugboat




floating beer bottle
wind across the neck
...little tugboat