tooter

teuk his braith awa

...wrocht blues

trumpet

took his breath away

...made blues

 efter the flude

 bowders heeligoleerie

...watter's  runes

after the flood

boulders in confusion

...river's runes

granson skairs ma bed

shilpit airms'n legs taigle

...a dwam o attercaps

grandson shares my bed

skinny arms and legs tangle

...I dream of spiders

auld sodger  -

sin sheen's frae's medals

...blindin

old soldier  -

sun shines from his medals

...blinding

keek o day  -

on the brae

bricht bouets o brume

sunrise  -

on the hillside

bright lanterns of broom

peerie snail

chairtin'ts

jurney

tiny snail

mapping out

its journey

deuklins ettlin tae

sclim the sliddery brae

...lik aw youthlins

ducklings trying to

climb the slippery slope

...like all youngsters

swan's nest  -

yin egg

growein cauld

swan's nest  -

one egg

growing cold

voar's

racket funtains

gean trees

spring's

firework fountains

cherry trees

 abandont tank  -

in an oot o the barrel

speuggies

abandoned tank  -

in and out of the barrel

sparrows

Ukraine  -

she maits'r chookies

amang brent-oot tanks

Ukraine  -

she feeds her chickens

among burnt-out tanks

wund 'n' cluds  -

swaws o licht

ower the daffins

wind and clouds  -

waves of light

over the daffodils

aw alang the brainch

the sin's licht

birslin the speuggie's feet

all along the branch

the sun's  light

warming the sparrow's feet

hou neebourly  -

her magnolia petals

cleid ma lawn

how neighbourly  -

her magnolia petals

dress my lawn

freithin flourish  -

gean tree's

Pace bunnet

frothing blossom  -

cherry tree's

Easter bonnet

blue bonnets daff  i the sinsheen  -

sheddaes flit

athort the chaumer

blue tits play in the sunshine  -

shadows dart 

across the room

maggies dump throuch

the swans' nest

...stormtroops

magpies kick through

the swans' nest

...stormtroops

on a bricht blae burn

swans snuve

pontifical lik

on a bright blue stream

swans glide

pontifically

Ukraine  -

voar flooers i the derk yirth

bidin fir the aw-clear

Ukraine  -

spring flowers in the dark earth

awaiting the all-clear

hinnymuin boatie

rescuin kestawas

we poued thegither

honeymoon boat 

rescuing castaways

we pulled together

( For Ann)

 lichtnin

on the derk burn

stertilt swans

lightning

on the dark stream

startled swans

wund  -  blawin myndins

throuch

this ayebydand kythin

wind  -  blowing memories

through

this eternal presence

ilka brainch

glaizie wi sparks

...claucht i thair mash

every branch

aglitter with raindrops

...caught in their net

wunter mornin  -

a freen's caw

i the set o's braith

winter morning  -

a friend's greeting

in the shape of his breath

sin blinters

throuch the sparred palin  -

the warl's a cairtoon

sun flickers

through the slatted fence  -

the world's a cartoon

a hinmaist dander

wi's auld gundug

...the ferrier bydes

a last walk

with his old gundog

...the vet waits

shooers o leaves  -

bleckie blooters  throuch 

tae voar growthe

showers of leaves  -

blackbird kicks through 

to spring growth

roon the saunt's hoose

the err is aw jasmine

...wesps amang the baklava

round the saint's house

the air is all jasmine

...wasps among the baklava

they bide till a haud by  -

syne  ma neebours gae 

intil the mait baunk

they wait until I pass  -

then my neighbours

enter the food bank

saft souch  -

a clud

fleets doonstream

soft breeze  -

a cloud

floats downstream 

eesock

stottin on a clint

graithin himsel fir the plype

dipper

bouncing on a rock

psyching himself for the plunge

heron goves

intae's refleckshun

...fush soom throuch's heid

heron gazes

into his reflection

...fish swim through his head

covid blues  -

she croons a wurdless sang

on a weet blashie day

covid blues  -

she sings a wordless song

on a wet rainy day

apenin the hingers

tod hunkers

govein it the muin

opening the curtains

fox sits

staring at the moon 

aw day fouin mait paircels  -

she lints

maitin the swans

all day filling food parcels  -

she relaxes

feeding the swans

on the cafe brod heid

forgat

a snorlie hankie

on the cafe table

forgotten

a knotted handkerchief

oot frae unner

a hap o snaw

...voar

out from under

a blanket of snow

...spring 

Jerusalem haddie's

azure flicht

...glorifeein the aircher

kingfisher's

azure flight

...glorifying the archer

am aye weirin

her loom band  -

a hecht's a hecht

i'm still wearing

her loom band  -

a promise is a promise

a santa bunnet

trampit i the snaw

...fremmit sodgers

a santa hat

trampled in the snow

...foreign soldiers

watter's souchs an grueins  -

deuk quaich guis honk

an hern's seelent spear

river's tones and terrors  -

duck quack goose honk

and heron's silent spear