Monday, December 28, 2020

wunter  

in ma aviator bunnet

...the spaniel goves




winter  

in my aviator hat

...the spaniel stares

Friday, December 18, 2020

bucket day  -

gin bottles blink bleart lik

i the daw licht




bin day  -

gin bottles blink blearily

in the dawn light

Sunday, December 13, 2020

hameless  -

nae Yule whigmaleeries

bit the merry dancers




homeless  -

no Christmas baubles

but the northern lights


 Yule lichts turnt on  -

yirth yin skinklin

whigmaleerie in space




Christmas lights turned on  -

earth one glittering

bauble in space

Wednesday, December 09, 2020

 brick throuch

the priest's winnock

...Yule stern




brick through

the priest's window

...Christmas star

Monday, November 30, 2020

err thrabs

as swans win awa

...stoorin cluds




air throbs

as swans leave

...racing clouds


aince mair

Yule lowes i the herth

...poinsettia




again Christmas

flames in the hearth

...poinsettia.

Friday, November 27, 2020

friday clavers

roon the fush-van

...apen-mou'd mackrel




friday gossip

round the fish-van

...open-mouthed mackrel



Thursday, November 26, 2020

anely hersel

an the Yule cactus  -

lanely covid blues




only herself

and the Christmas cactus  -

lonely covid blues

i the gairden

maggies line the palin  

...boogie--woogie pianny




in the garden

magpies line the fence  

...boogie-woogie piano


Tuesday, November 03, 2020

 pumpkin foondert

anely the caunle left

...tae licht anither




pumpkin slumped

only the candle left

...to light another


Monday, October 26, 2020

 aneath hairst treen

plainstanes buskit

in gowd leaf




beneath autumnal trees

pavements adorned

in gold leaf


Saturday, October 24, 2020

 weet bates  -

leaves flettent atween pages

o yestreen an the day




rain beats  -

leaves flattened between pages

of yesterday and today

Thursday, October 22, 2020

 broozilt gowan  -

petals ligg

...exclamation merks 




crushed daisy  -

petals lie

...exclamation marks 

Tuesday, October 20, 2020

 licht throuch

the hairst treen

...apenin her keel boax




light through

the autumnal trees

...opening her crayon box


Thursday, October 15, 2020

yestreen a corp

the day swans' bonnieness

...the burn's calm souch




yesterday a corpse

today swans' elegance

...the stream's equanimity 



Saturday, October 10, 2020

droont eemigrant

his wan fissog turnt

tae the muin o hame




drowned immigrant

his pale face turned 

to the moon of home

Thursday, October 08, 2020

auld daunce studio  -

the wrackin-baw's sweeng

feshes the hoose doon




old dance studio  -

the wrecking-ball's swing

brings the house down

Thursday, October 01, 2020

 pittin oot the buckets  -

a fou muin

...sae claen




putting out the bins  -

a full moon

...so clean

Tuesday, September 22, 2020

 watterside poorhoose  -

they gove it thirsels

ablow the watter




riverside hostel  -

they gaze at themselves

below the water

Saturday, September 19, 2020

 daw sinblink

chirtin watter

frae the freestit leaves




dawn sunbeam

squeezing water

from the frosted leaves

Monday, September 14, 2020

 furst the ambulance

wins in  -  syne bawdrons

his bell tinglin





first the ambulance

arrives  -  then cat

his bell tinkling

Sunday, September 13, 2020

 the bairns hairst

the maumie aipples

...thayr hattert nebs




the children harvest

the ripe apples

...their flustered faces.

Saturday, September 12, 2020

 i the perk

craws tissle ower a berry

tentless o the ref's whustle 




in the park

crows tussle over a berry

heedless of the ref's whistle



Saturday, September 05, 2020

virus apairtness  -
new peths
throuch the wuids



social distancing  -
new paths
through the woods

Friday, September 04, 2020

the fush-cadger's
honkin tooter  -
bawdrons raxes up



the fish-seller's
honking horn  -
cat rises and stretches

Wednesday, August 26, 2020

hoosebund she goves
oot atween her baudies
...fantoosh lugreengs



housebound she gazes
out between her orchids
...exotic earings

Saturday, August 22, 2020

magnolias apenin  -
anither year
anither  caunle



magnolias opening  -
another year
another  candle


Thursday, August 20, 2020

efter the beerial
tea it the gowf club
...tentie o thaim sinkin putts



after the burial
tea at the golf club
...watching them sinking putts

Tuesday, August 18, 2020

dreich day  -
i the playgrun
the chute's siller linn



dull day  -
in the playground
the chute's silver waterfall

Monday, August 17, 2020

sparks on roddens  -
quattin thair reid life
thair clair spreit wins awa



raindrops on rowans  -
leaving their red life
their clear spirit falls away

Sunday, August 16, 2020

mornin Mass  -
ootby a flocht o maws
threepin in tungs



morning Mass  -
outside a flurry of gulls
speaking in tongues




Monday, August 10, 2020

the auld jazzman's cortege
slaws bi the pub
...his owdience aye clappin



the old jazzman's cortege
slows by the pub
...his audience still clapping

Friday, July 31, 2020

unner the aipple tree
the auld sodger dwams
...amang the faw'n yins



under the apple tree
the old soldier dreams
...among the fallen ones

Thursday, July 30, 2020

hern speirin
wi ilk fuitstap
...as the bodach daes



heron probing
with each footstep
...as the old man does

Wednesday, July 29, 2020

efter the blowster
bleck-eed
brummles



after the storm
black-eyed
brambles

Tuesday, July 28, 2020

skateperk  -
hauflins makkin
dunts an birses



skateperk  -
youngsters making
bumps and bruises

Wednesday, July 22, 2020

jivin
wi ma grandochter
...tuba an clarinet wyvein



jiving
with my grand-daughter
...tuba and  clarinet weaving

Monday, July 13, 2020

hame frae the yirdin  -
waterin
the gizzent flooers



home from the funeral  -
watering
the shrivelled flowers










Friday, July 10, 2020

swan preenin  -
feddery wiles
fleet doonstream



swan preening  -
feathery lures
float downstream

Tuesday, July 07, 2020

frae the
hazel tree
bleckie's luve sang



from the
hazel tree
blackbird's love song

Saturday, July 04, 2020

blythefou swallae
loopin throuch
a mairchless lift




happy swallow
looping through
a borderless sky

Tuesday, June 30, 2020

sumhin's dee'd  -
simmer flooers growe
throuch the banes



something's died  -
summer flowers grow
through the bones

Wednesday, June 24, 2020

deuks fleet intae
a sinblink - becumin
whit a sinblink's becum



ducks float into
a sunbeam  -  becoming
what a sunbeam's become

Saturday, June 20, 2020

pandemic  -  the day
e'en the craw
muives twa metres awa



pandemic  -  today
even the crow
moves two metres away

Wednesday, June 17, 2020

shaucht fause-face  -
throuch the haar
a bleckie chirmin



discarded face-mask  -
through the mist
a blackbird trilling

Tuesday, June 16, 2020

lockdoon easement
brickies back tae wark  -
thair rousty truans




lockdown easing
bricklayers back to work  -
their rusty trowels

Monday, June 15, 2020

gairden picnic  -
efter the bairns win awa
the wesps redd up



garden picnic  -
after the children leave
the wasps clear up

Friday, June 12, 2020

pecht on the brae  -
tentie o the wund
fouin the bairn's draigon



breathless on the hillside  -
watching the wind
filling the child's kite


Wednesday, June 10, 2020

thankrife  -
a freithin eller flooer
hystit tae anither simmer




grateful  -
a frothing elder flower
raised to another summer

Wednesday, June 03, 2020

pandemic  -
in's owergrown gairden
a rose barein its hert



pandemic  -
in his overgrown garden
a rose bareing its heart

Tuesday, June 02, 2020

kirk lockdoon  -
rosary i the gairden
...bummers' thrummin chorus



church lockdown  -
rosary in the garden
...bees' humming chorus

Monday, June 01, 2020

the craiturs
hae thair ain pandemic 
...chowkin on plastic




the creatures
have their own pandemic -
choking on plastic






the cailleach
sel-isolatin  -  anely
a sheddae tae be gliskit




the old lady
self-isolating  -  only
a shadow to be seen

Friday, May 29, 2020

a drave o baggies  -
a glisk auld sheddies 
stanced wi jeelie-jaurs




a shoal of minnows  -
I see old shadows
poised with jam jars

Thursday, May 28, 2020

sinlicht skooks
athort the brae  -
yalla on the brume



sunlight creeps
across the hill  -
yellow on the broom

Wednesday, May 27, 2020

efter the souch
the puil
learns me meditation




after the breeze
the pool
teaches me meditation

Monday, May 25, 2020

scurs  -
a day
i the sin




mayflys  -
a day
in the sun
pandemic  -
the cricket pitch
owergrowen




pandemic  -
the cricket pitch
overgrown

Wednesday, May 20, 2020

covid 19
...pish-the-bed puffbaws
bidin a braith



covid 19
...dandelion puffballs
awaiting a breath

Monday, May 18, 2020

twa swans
on the roukie watter
...far awa heidlichts



two swans
on the misty river
...distant headlights

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

tint horseshoe  -
sumwhaur the soond
o huifbeats in waltz-time




lost horseshoe  -
somewhere the sound
of hoofbeats in waltz-time

Monday, May 11, 2020

wis't deforce?  -
the drake stoors awa
deuk weshes hersel wuidly




was it rape?  -
the drake rushes away
duck washes herself furiously

Saturday, May 09, 2020

ping-pong i the perk  -
fawin gean flourish
begowks hauf-blin grandad




table-tennis in the park  -
falling cherry blossoms
fool half-blind grandad

Tuesday, May 05, 2020

in a bourach
o gowd stoor
moch an attercap




in a storm
Of gold dust
moth and spider

Monday, May 04, 2020

peerie laddie
slooshin throuch the dubs
...his buits gean flourisht




little boy
splashing through the puddles
...his boots cherry blossomed

Friday, May 01, 2020

voar gairdenin  -
Reid Rab's Yule pose
on the spade haunle




spring gardening  -
the robin's Christmas pose
on the spade handle


Tuesday, April 28, 2020

her NHS pentin
tapsalteerie  -
smirkin watergaws'r brawest!




her NHS painting
upside down  -
smiling rainbows are best!


Friday, April 24, 2020

lookdoon burthday  -
balloons hingin on the door
...naebody cums




lockdown birthday  -
balloons hanging on the door
...nobody comes

Thursday, April 23, 2020

heelster gowdie
fir a crust o breid  -
the cailleachs sea-maw circus




looping the loop
for a crust of bread  -
the old lady's seagull circus

Tuesday, April 21, 2020

swans nestin -
she dovers it the mids
o's trampit peth




swans nesting  -
she sleeps at the centre
of his beaten path


Monday, April 20, 2020

fou muin
sillersmith
it wark




full moon
silversmith
at work

Wednesday, April 15, 2020

pandemic  -
thoombs-up frae grandad
the lozen snares oor braith



pandemic  -
thumbs-up from grandad
the pane traps our breath



Monday, April 13, 2020

lockdoon  -  awwhaur
the graffiti airtist's
smirkin mojis




lockdown  -  everywhere
the graffiti artist's
smiling mojis

Sunday, April 12, 2020

the dreelin soond
o an airlie bummer
proggin




the drilling sound
of an early bee
probing

Friday, April 10, 2020

i the quate o lockdoon
a doo coos 
on the roof o oor ark



in the silence of lockdown
a pigeon coos 
on the roof of our ark

Tuesday, April 07, 2020

lockdoon  -
muin it the winnock
aw fause face




lockdown  -
moon at the window
all facemask

Sunday, April 05, 2020

...and palms before my feet'  -
bit
no the-day




...and palms before my feet'  -
but
not today

(Palm sunday 2020)

Friday, April 03, 2020

virus apairtness  -
e'en the daffins
skew thair heids awa



virus distancing  -
even the daffodils
turn their heads away

Thursday, April 02, 2020

voar aince mair  -
syle
aneath the nail-horns




spring again  -
soil
beneath the fingernails

Sunday, March 29, 2020

lockdoon  -
gean floorish
cum  an gane...alane




lockdown  -
cherry blossom
come and gone...alone

Saturday, March 21, 2020

coronavirus  -
the bairns waff, granny greits
ahint steekit winnocks




coronavirus  -
the children wave, grandma cries
behind closed windows


Thursday, March 19, 2020

fauty can-apener  -
bluid i the beans
...deceesions!




faulty tin-opener  -
blood in the beans
...decisions!

Saturday, March 14, 2020

blue bonnets'
dawn chorus  -  spatrels
on a stave o brainches




blue tits'
dawn chorus  -
notes on a stave of branches


Monday, March 09, 2020

rugby practeese  -
they hyst'm heich
...his haunprent agin the sin




rugby practice  -
they hoist him high
...his handprint against the sun

Saturday, March 07, 2020

saft  souch  -
the skwurrel chynges
frae grey tae siller




gentle breeze  -
the squirrel changes
from grey to silver

Tuesday, March 03, 2020

Yoga i the perk  -
voar flooers
streetchin




Yoga in the park  -
spring flowers
stretching

autistic laddie
blithe i the sin
...hodden, a bleck bawdrons snokes




autistic boy
glorying in the sun
...hidden, a black cat hunts

Tuesday, February 25, 2020

bleckie's neb
brichtenin
sic a dreich mornin




blackbird's beak
brightening
such a dull morning
the yirth draws slaw
ower a hinmaist stane
...grannie's but'n'ben




the earth slowly covers
a last stone
...grandmother's cottage

Sunday, February 23, 2020

climate chynge  -
maws soomin
i the tattie dreels




climate change  -
gulls swimming
in the potato furrows

Thursday, February 20, 2020

canada geese
hae drapt by  -
arctic wunds i thair weengs




canada geese
have dropped in  -
arctic winds in their wings

Wednesday, February 19, 2020

MS  -
his nummin mou
words left hingin




MS  -
his numbing lips
a suspeded sentence

Sunday, February 16, 2020

mornin Mass  -
throuch the apen door
the snowk o new-bakit breid




morning Mass  -
through the open door
the smell of new-baked bread

Monday, February 10, 2020

wunter nicht 
fou muin an sterns
...a snawbaw fecht




winter night 
full moon and stars
...a snowball fight

Sunday, February 09, 2020

weet fir days  -
oorie vices
i the rone-pipes




rain for days  -
eerie voices
in the drainpipes

Tuesday, February 04, 2020

pianny practeese  -
i the gairden a maggie
wund lipperin its fedders




piano practise  -
in the garden a magpie
wind rippling its feathers

Monday, February 03, 2020

saw nebs gaither
females gae unner  -  fegs!
houghmagandie in cauld watter




goosanders gather
females go under  -  ugh!
sex in cold water

Saturday, February 01, 2020

blowster
throuch the scrappie's
...oorie orchestral




gale
through the scrap yard
...eerie orchestral

Wednesday, January 29, 2020

telegraph wires
throuch the firs
speuggies cryin




telegraph wires
through the pine trees
sparrows calling
holocaust day  -
frae a stoppit train
a cailleach blaws a pree




holocaust day  -
from a stopped train
an old lady blows  a kiss

Saturday, January 25, 2020

faur aff lichtnin
troot 
lowpin




distant lightning
trout
jumping
on a leash  -
the bodach
an's dug




on a lead  -
the old man
and his dog

Monday, January 20, 2020

sweilin sweilin
til't jalouses the sooth  -
lane guis



circling circling
until it senses the south  -
lone goose

Wednesday, January 15, 2020

the blowster's won in:
a pickle notes i the lum
syne a hale rhythm section




the storm's arrived:
a few notes in the chimney
then the whole rhythm section

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

throuch a freesty scab
voar shuits
...mending




through a frosty scab
spring shoots
...healing

Thursday, January 09, 2020

amang bleck brainches
a bleck burd
...wunter negative




among black branches
a black bird
...winter negative

Thursday, January 02, 2020

the Yule-tree stern
bund in deidly threids
...attercap




the Christmas-tree star
bound in deadly threads
...spider

Wednesday, January 01, 2020

reengin the bath
fir yestreen's attercap
...he goves frae the ceilin




searching the bath
for yesterday's spider
...he watches from the ceiling