aw nicht

the orra maisic

o a chist smit

all night

the surreal music

of a chest infection

abuin ma care bed

lichts athort the ceilin

...fowk gaun aw airts

above my sickbed

lights across the ceiling

...people going places

furst snaw  -

hairst's musardrie

rubbit oot

first snow  -

autumn's poetry

erased

freesty nicht  -

efter the Yule pairty

glessy-e'ed dubs

frosty night  -

after the Christmas party

glazy-eyed puddles

blawy  -

lang Johns on the waashin rope

...doitit ballet

windy  -

long Johns on the washing line

...crazy ballet

auld tarrybreeks

on's daith-bed  

hearkens tae the maws pewl

old sailor

on his death-bed  

listens to the gulls cry

furst advent caunle

sterts tae daunce  -

sterts THE DAUNCE!

first advent candle

starts to dance  -

starts THE DANCE!

unco peerie squaik  -

maggie's fund

sumhin siller

strange little squeak  -

magpie's found

something silver

 trainspottin  -

myndin the auld puffers

...freesty braith

trainspotting  -

remembering the old puffers

...frosty breath

geelt hameless  -

reid straiks o a pastel lift

i thair een

frozen homeless  -

red streaks of a pastel sky

in their eyes

hern's fuitprents

amang the saugh leaves

...stobbie calligraphy

heron's footprints

among the willow leaves

...spiky calligraphy

wa-gang agane  -

eemigrant laddie

nirlin i the weet

leaving again  -

emigrant son

shrinking in the rain

 i the winnock  -

fou muin, attercap,

an the threids am claucht in

in the windoow  -

full moon, spider,

and the threads I'm caught in

doacter's appintment  -

it his winnock skwurrel

hunkers creckin a nit

doctor's appointment  -

at his window squirrel

sits cracking a nut

mawin the girss  -

the creck

o hazelnits

mowing the grass  -

the crack

of hazelnuts

burds cheeplin

wund i the treen  -  an me:

God's HI-FI seestem

birds chirping

wind in the trees  -  and me:

God's HI-FI system

saw neb dookin

gaein unner   -  syne 

scartin whaur a lug micht be

goosander bathing

going under  -   then

scratching where an ear might be

leukin lik the hinmaist leaf

on a nakit acer

...Reid Rab

looking like the last leaf 

on a naked acer

...a robin

auld tarry-breeks  -

his twa powls

the swallin causey

the old sailor  -

his two walking sticks

the swelling pavement

efter the weet  -

speuggie lans on a brainch

brings doon anither shour

after the rain  -

sparrow lands on a branch

brings down another shower

snail  -

his siller lines

o musardrie

snail  -

his silver lines

of poetry

on a brainch, sparks,

a raw i the sin  -

suin tae kythe as cluds...agane

on a branch, raindrops,

a row in the sun -

soon to become clouds...again

the acer's firie leaves

faw

...bleckened brainches

the acer's fiery leaves

fall

...blackened branches

faur aff

her an hern

ilk in a blae-gray cot

in the distance

she and heron

each in a blue-grey coat

the auld gangrel  -

his haun-me-doon shuin

his bluided heels

the old tramp  -

his hand-me-down shoes

his bloodied heels

tooer cran

hystin anither laid

...stackin cluds

tower crane

hoisting another load

...stacking clouds

midnicht pish  -

i the shunkie

a fissog pluffs

midnight pee  -

in the toilet

a face explodes

i the syver

sumyin's boo-tie 

...heich-fleer's pairty

in the gutter

someone's bow-tie 

...high-flyer's party

hairst  -

reid, yalla , gowd, refleckit

on the scaffie's fissog

autumn  -

red, yellow, gold,reflected

on the street-sweeper's face

licht skails

frae flooers, treen, fowk  -

a day fir refleckshun

light pours

from flowers, trees, people  -

a day for reflection

grannie's but'n ben  -

oot frae the lum

a wattergaw

grandmother's cottage  -

out from the chimney

a rainbow

rin-ower

craw-aipples  -

a pollock splairge

run -over

crab-apples  -

 a pollock splash

fiercelin times  -

e'en i the kintra

deuks heid-buttin

aggressive times  -

even in the country

ducks head-butting

clowtin a peerie flee  -

bumbazed it the bluid straik

...an the guilt

swatting a tiny fly  -

amazed at the blood streak

...and the guilt

yowlin wund  

streeks'n boos a wab- threid

...blusey mornin

howling wind  

stretches and bends a web-thread

...bluesy morning

auld fusherman  

his arthritic banes

...a craikin boat

old fisherman

his arthritic bones

...a creaking boat

dawin haudin in  -

the knock's fissog

...narrer an narrer

dawn approaching  -

the clock's face

...nearer and nearer

the maisic o buits

slaw mairchin

...the seelence o london

the music of boots

slow marching

...the silence of London

(Elizabeth 11 funeral)

the bodach 

gairdenin

...muckle bluid

the old man

gardening

...much blood

the burn murmells: truant  -

schuil-days guddlin

clauchtin nocht bit pleesur

the stream murmurs: truant -

school-days fishing

catching nothing but pleasure

a queen hus slippit awa  -

the skep thrabs

wi hert-scaud

a queen has died  -

the hive throbs

with grief

snail

stickit tae ma winnock

...slubbery pree

snail

stuck to my window

...slobbery kiss

 'makkin wey fir ithers' -

faither's answer tae daith

...sneddin this verra tree

'making way for others'  -

father's answer to death

...pruning this very tree

...

efter sica stour

the saft ruff

o a seepin rhone

after such a thunderstorm

the soft beat

of a leaky gutter

on the suicide's puil

a brust fitbaw

...the gemme's a bogie

on the suicide's pool

a burst football

..the game is ended.

claucht in a wab  -

rouk's

ghaistly presence

caught in a web  -

mist's

ghostly presence

bin strike  

...a rant

o maws

dustbin strike 

...a festival

of gulls

keengfusher

kaleidoscopic

on a blawn brainch

kingfisher

kaleidoscopic

on a blown branch

 keengfushers:

a perr takkin the err

...it sic a lick

kingfishers:

a pair taking the air

...at speed

her boax

o bibblin brummles

her purpie lipsteek

her box

of bubbling brambles

her purple lipstick

pish-the-bed puffbaws  -

faur aff a peerie fairmer

...his fite heid

dandelion puffballs  -

far off a tiny farmer

...his white head

voar reddin  -

fundin placks, sweeties,

a speeders' graveyaird...

spring cleaning  -

finding coins, sweets,

a spiders' graveyard...

festival  squeebs  -

Immigrant bairnies

coorie thegither

festival  fireworks  -

immigrant  toddlers

cling together

waashin day  -

flaffin sheets

a bygaun butterie

washing day  -

flapping sheets

a passing butterfly

on the telegraph weer

a line o speuggies

yatterin

on the telegraph wire

a line of sparrows

chattering

as tho unnerwatter

they pander by the winnock  -

pish-the-bed parychutes

as though underwater

they drift past the window  -

dandelion parachutes

voar  -

delvin agane

lik monie makars afore

spring  -

digging again

like many poets before

ootby

the hospital yetts

dowps

outside 

the hospital gates

cigarette-ends

honesty

shooglin i the wund

...bangles an bracelets

honesty

shaking in the wind

...bangles and bracelets

rouky mornin  -

bi the kirk yett

attercap's spreit catcher

misty morning  -

by the church gate

spider's spirit catcher

on a lown puil

suddentlie sumhin

dings a bul's-ee

on a calm pool

suddenly something

hits a  bull's eye

it lang an last

weet  -

the acer's leaves daunce

at last

rain  -

the acer's leaves dance

a lown tirl

jooglin

sax fite butteries

a gentle breeze

juggling

six white butterflies

heid office  -

goavin doon on tovin maws

an peerie fowk

head office  -

gazing down on soaring gulls

and little people

swelterin wedder  -

the coos an me

fliskin flees 

sweltering weather  -

the cows and I

flicking flies 

#

craw hunkers wi me

streetches an skews's craig

as though ettlin tae threep

crow sits with me

stretches and twists his neck

as though trying to speak

thrissel's purpie  -

ower suin

the fitest o bairds

thistles purple  -

too soon

the whitest of beards

wund gurlin

roon ma lugs:

'sumhin tae smush!...oniethin!'

wind growling

round my ears:

'something to smash!...anything!'

bodachs nou

we simmer an wunter

ower oor medications

old men now

we discuss at length

oor medications

bricht sinlicht  -

a mistaen jowel

...maukie flees on dug keech

bright sunlight  -

a mistaken jewel

...bluebottles on dog-shit

#

neb tae neb  -

dug an puddock

ettlin tae unnerstaun 

nose to nose  -

dog and frog

trying to understand

pensioner  -

her message bag

blaws awa i the wund

pensioner  -

her shopping bag

blows away in the wind

the Trades  -

tentie as anither bittie

snecks wi the cludy jeegsaw

holidays  -

watching another piece

fit the cumulus jigsaw

heizin an fawin -

skatebroders

on concrete swaws

rising and falling  -

skateboarders

on concrete waves

a girsslowper's lowpt

intae ma kitchie 

...knule-kneed

 a grasshopper's hopped

into my kitchen  

...its knobbly knees

twa dalmatians

warsle 

...spreckles afore ma een

two dalmations

wrestle 

...spots before my eyes

july mairchers  -

weet bates on thaim  -

this rousty parawd

july marchers  -

rain beats on them

this rusty parade

as though the wallie yins

on mither's sidebuird

twa swans pander

as though the porcelain ones

on mother's sideboard

two swans drift

nicht train

pewlin throuch

...waesome moothie

night train

wailing through

...sad harmonica

 snail  -

brither stravaiger

ayewis flittin

snail  -

brother wanderer

always moving house

swans

on the burn

cluds

swans

on the stream

clouds

tooter

teuk his braith awa

...wrocht blues

trumpet

took his breath away

...fashioned blues

 efter the flude

 bowders heeligoleerie

...watter's  runes

after the flood

boulders in confusion

...river's runes

granson skairs ma bed  -

taigilt 

...ah dwam o attercaps

grandson shares my bed

tangled 

...I dream of spiders

auld sodger  -

sin sheen's frae's medals

blinndin us

old soldier  -

sun shines from his medals

blinding us

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

firie funtains

gean trees

spring's

fiery 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 an 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 speuggies' feet

all along the branch

the sun's  light

warming the sparrows' 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

bydin fir the aw-clair

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  -

...its a cairtoon warl

sun flickers

through the slatted fence  -

...its a cartoon world

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 an muin

set

opening the curtains

fox and moon

framed

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 

keengfusher'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 leister

river's tones and terrors  -

duck quack goose honk

and heron's silent spear