athort

a Yule perk

fremmit fowk's goamins

across

a Chrismas park 

strangers' greetings

flee on the winnock

a faurawa airieplane  

...bairgin peth

fly on the window 

a distant aeroplane  

...collision path

wunter solstice  

a pearl remuved

days growein brichter

winter solstice  

a cataract removed

days growing brighter

wund  

raxin tae win awa

frae a blawn awa tent

wind  

struggling to be free

from a blown away tent

advent caunle  -

anither day

meltit awa

advent candle  -

another day

melted away

nae Yule pairty

fir him this year  -

a'm weirin's shuin

no Christmas party

for him this year  -

i'm wearing his shoes

on a kintra rod

the reid colour o daith

the bleck o craw

on a country road

the red colour of death

the black of crow

bygane geese  -

a trauchle-free

maument

geese pass  -

a trouble-free

moment

 listin drive  -

sodgers in fou cammyflage

roon the hamburger stand

recruitment drive  -

soldiers in full camouflage

round the hamburger stall

snail's tasht shall  -

sumwhaur

a bleckie chirms

snail's broken shell  -

somewhere

a blackbird sings

a day o yuisless thingums:

in the canaul, a

message-bag fou o watter

a day of useless things:

in the canal, a

shopping-bag full of water

the postie's 

fuitprents

bygaun ma yett

the postman's

footprints

past my gate

 the elements

recyclin

the auld recyclin plant

the elements

recycling

the old recycling plant

airly mornin  -

the cailleach stauns

it the bingo-ha door

early morning  -

the old lady stands

at the bingo-hall door

hunkered amang maw leid

the towrists

skail scran

sat amidst gull language

the tourists

scatter scraps

indian kintra  -

ah coff a crucifix

an twa arraheids

indian country  -

i buy a crucifix

and two arrowheads

watterside dauner

makars' busts  -

awbodie maits the swans

riverside walk

poets' busts  -

everybody feeds the swans

nautiloids

380,000000 year auld  

fir ma laddie's thirtieth

nautiloids

380,000000 years old

for my son's thirtieth

 the ceetie waukens:

the wino sooks a tinnie

a chiel pynts wi a pincil

the city wakens:

the wino sucks a can

a man points with a pencil

he skails trock fraes car

smirks it us  -

ah glisk a tuim space

he scatters car litter

smiles at us  -

i see an empty space

i the quate

the soond

o the eucharist brekkin

in the silence

the sound

of the eucharist breaking

 tree sculpture:

The Canaul Biggers  -

tree-trunk chists, tree-trunk airms

tree sculpture:

The Canal Builders  -

tree-trunk chests, tree-trunk arms

dour nod

tae the eildit jogger

...ah pech hamewart

reluctant nod

to the elderly jogger

...I puff homeward

slaw train

tae San Fransisco

Kerouac...Kerouac...Kerouac

slow train

to San Fransisco

Kerouac...Kerouac...Kerouac

he sains the cot   -

the caunle's lowe heelds awa

as though a draucht

he blesses the crib  -

the candle's flame leans awa

as though a draught

beads throuch the fingers

hailness in ilka maument  -

SMILE! dour-nebbed wifie

beads through the fingers

completeness in each moment  -

SMILE! grim-faced lady

the sea's swall,

a faurawa pipe  -  she speirs

the time...hou tae repone?

the sea's swell,

a faraway flute  -  she asks

the time...how to answer?

murther an dirdum

blinters on's neb  -

peerie weir-gemmes sodger

murder and mayhem

flicker on his face  -

little war-games soldier

brennin leaves  -

reek daidlin

amang the brainches 

burning leaves  -

smoke lingering

among the branches

wunter wedder  -

staunin it the winnock

...ma ain snawglobe

winter weather   -

standing at the window

...my own snowglobe

snell mornin  -

it Mass, hunkert

bi the votive caunles

cold morning  -

at Mass, sitting

by the votive candles

drien snaw  -

ilka tree

a siller birk

driven snow  -

every tree

a silver birch

wund throuch

faw'n leaves

...pattrenmakar

wind through

the fallen leaves

...patternmaker

peerie skwurrel

bussie-tailed  -

soopin the leaves

little squirrel

bushy-tailed  -

sweeping the leaves

alang the fuitpeth

Reid Rab daffs it

claucht-me-gin-ye-can

along the footpath

the robin plays

catch-me-if-you-can

aneath the sauchs

in emerant watter  -

the hern

beneath the willows

in green water  -

the heron

armistice day paraud  -

on the tree

a hinmaist pickle leaves

armistice day parade  -

on the tree

a last few leaves

skifflin throuch leaves  -

hairst

fir the bodach an the aik

shuffling through leaves  -

autumn

for the old man and the oak

day-daw  -

burdsang

an craw scrunchin's gears

dawn  -

birdsong

and crow crunching his gears

blowster ower  -

the maple tree's

bleck skelet

storm over  -

the maple tree's

black skeleton

craw an saw-neb

haudin thair distance  -

sowpin frae the samen burn

crow and goosander

keeping their distance  -

drinking from the same stream

ootgoavin ilk ither

hern an me

...till he wuns!

outstaring each other

heron and I

...until he wins!

efter bonfire nicht

daw's reid lift

...greeshoch

after bonfire night

dawn's red sky

...embers

hairst leaves  -

the boolin green

a bricht orange

autumn leaves  -

the bowling green

a bright orange

wast wund

shooglin the leaves

...prayer flags

west wind

shaking the leaves

...prayer flags

(For Gaza)

monks 

see tae thair sinflooers

... thair tonsured heids

monks

tend their sunflowers

... their tonsured heads

 hallae e'en  

wutchies it the doors  -

yin hoosehauder hidin

halloween

witches at the doors  -

one householder hiding

scunnert youthlins  -

on the stamed bus winnock

nochts an corses

bored youngsters  -

on the steamed bus window

noughts and crosses

hairst leaves

i the weet  -

bonnie causey airt

autumn leaves

in the rain

beautiful street art

leaves faw

ligg

wi the hameless

leaves fall

lie

with the homeless

blatter  --

dreevin the gentie maser

gyte

storm  -

driving the gentle acer

mad

whaur the derk lift

trysts wi the derk watter:

a keyhole o licht...swan

where the dark sky

meets the dark water:

a keyhole of light...swan

the scales an chords

o the blatter

blawin throuch the toon

the scales and chords

of the storm

blowing through the town

oot frae Mass  -

tentie o craw

dookin's breid i the burn

out from Mass  -

watching crow

dipping its bread in the stream

hern's

lang spirlie shanks

...shilpit ballerina

heron's

long thin legs 

...skinny ballerina

hairst  -

acer leaves reid nebbed

it the nakitness

autumn  -

acer leaves red faced

at the nakedness

 wundfaw  -

athort the green

aipples boolin alang

windfall  -

across the lawn

apples bowling along

ilka day

a'm claucht  -

wab threids in ma mou

every day

I'm caught  -

web threids in my mouth

years gang by  -

frae ilk watterside

sauchs it last tiggin

years go by  -

from each riverbank

willows at last touching

laich sin  -

ma sheddae

danders aside me

low sun  -

my shadow

walks beside me

peer tree sindial

streetchin

fir oors

pear tree sundial

stretching

for hours

the jeely rowe

o staunin

on a hodden slug

the jelly roll

of standing

on an unseen slug

jinkin

lik a drouthie  -

snails a'whaur

zigzagging

like a drunk  -

snails  everywhere

hairst  -

a hinmaist waasp

ower forfochen tae stang

autumn  -

a last wasp

too tired to sting

hairst

taks haud  

...runklin leaves

autumn

takes hold  

...curling leaves

monastery bawdrons

on's alms traik  -

the flesher, the baxter...

monastery cat

on his alms journey  -

the butcher,the baker...

throuch the leaves

persimmons keekin  -

a laich yin tuith-merkit

through the leaves

persimmons peeping  -

a lower one tooth-marked

 the yirdin bell

draps slawly throuch the err  

the day: 9/11

the funeral bell

drops slowly through the air  

today: 9/11

janglin bells...

fuitsteps

stoorin tae Mass

jangling bells...

footsteps

racing to Mass

 butterie

ristin on the gairden hose

...the thrab o life

butterfly

resting on the garden hose

...the throb of life

 a ruinage re-chartit  -

the maister nou wins awa

on's boattie

ruins re-charted  -

the master now leaves

on his boat

MEMORIAL:

(BRIAN LOWERY OSA 1941-2019)

sic waarmth  -

e'en the butteries

glidin mair nor uisual

such heat  -

even the butterflys

gliding more than usual

gairden shed

hapt in hinniesickle

...bummers' boom boax

garden hut

covered in honeysuckle

...bees' boom box

frae sauch tae sauch

keengfusher

flourishes a blae threid

from willow to willow

kingfisher

embroiders a blue thread

flutherin weengs

it the winnock  -

spaewife's forerinner

fluttering wings

at the window  -

old wives' harbringer

roon an roon

the busker

a butterie jiggin

round and round

the busker

a butterfly dancing

muin  -

panderin 

on an incumin draig

moon  -

drifting 

on an incoming tide

flee on the winnock

danderin

amang the cluds

fly on the window

wandering

among the  clouds

weet  -

snail an we unner

oor umbrellys

rain  -

snail and we under

our umberellas

pish-the-bed puffbaws  -

aw day quattin this perk

tae seed anither

dandelion puffballs  -

all day leaving this field

to seed another

attercap

trappit i the bath  -

snawblindit bi nou

spider

trapped in the bath  -

snowblind by now

burthday  -

brunt-oot caunles

on a tuim ashet

birthday  -

burnt-out candles

on an empty plate

it last maw chicks

quit the lum nest

...upwreilin reek

at last gull chicks

leave the chimney nest

..spiriling smoke

aw the wey hame

tentie o dug's claggie luve

on ma fingers

all the way home

feeling dog's sticky love

on my fingers

waashin day  -

leaves

dreep-dryin

washing day  -

leaves

drip-drying

houghmagandie

on the plainstanes  -

twa bummers

sex

on the pavement  -

two bumblebees

tirl  -

sinlicht stoors up an doon

a wab threid

breeze  -

sunlight races up and down

a web thread

a maw chick

aw it sea

amang the traffic

a gull chick

all at sea

among the traffic

hou the aipple tree

daikers itsel

...peerie reid aipples

how the apple tree

decorates itself

...tiny red apples

the day

an aipple fell

...a douce yin

today

an apple fell

...a sweet one

(For Sinead O'Connor)

plane tree propellers  -

hairst

fleein in

sycamore propellers  -

autumn

flying in

snail's siller steid

suddently splittert

...siller fuitprent

snail's silver trail

suddenly splattered

...silver footprint

bleckie

neb fou o wirms

...hedgeraw medusa

blackbird

beak full of worms

...hedgerow medusa

a ginge gibbie-cat

on the skive

fir luve or bluid

a ginger tom-cat

on the prowl

for love or blood

butterie's

stravaigins  -

sae zen lik

butterfly's

wanderings   -

so zen like

wull brummles  

teirin

oor hauns

wild brambles

tearing

our hands

waddin mindin  -

ilka year the roses

aye clap thegither

anniversary gift  -

every year the roses

still cling together

 the bummer's druin

i the lily's craig

...bumbazin tanpura

the bee's drone

in the lily's throat

...hypnotic tanpura

furst puff-baw seed  -

lanely ghaist

stravaigin

first puff-ball seed  -

lonely ghost

wandering

croonin-day  -

a flee-by

o deuks

coronation -day  -

a fly-past

of ducks

Rose o Sharon -

the roariest buss

i the gairden

Rose of Sharon  -

the noisiest bush

in the garden

fellin firs -

the incense

the droosie coos

felling pines  -

the incense

the drowsie cows

sneddin roses  -

fite roses

reiddnin

pruning roses  -

white roses

reddening

 wundy  -

the sauch chynges her dress

frae emerant tae siller

windy  -

the willow changes her dress

from green to silver

cauld wund  -

the burn

chitters

cold wind  -

the stream

shivers

gairden pairty  -

throuch the scrogs

straeberries' reid een

garden party  -

through the undergrowth

strawberries' red eyes

years bygaun

the bairns' photy

slawly dwinin

years passing

the childrens' photograph

slowly fading

roastin day  -

amang oor sheddaes

a droopin yin

hot day  -

among our shadows

a drooping one

the quate burn

meets wi the clints

...threeps

the silent stream

meets the rocks

...utters

the orchid's heid

faws

...flutherin butterie

the orchids's head

falls

...fluttering butterfly

fush-cadger's tooter

cryin in

...fush frae the sea

fishmonger's horn

summoning

...fish from the sea

amang jenny nettles

a hodden flooer  -

its reidness is its blateness

among nettles

a hidden flower  -

its redness is its shyness

troot lowps

in an oot o the burn

...siller steeks

trout leaps

in and out of the stream

...silver stitches

doitit he liggs on clints

waasht up  -  the yin on the brae

skairs's pyne

demented he lies on rocks

washed up  -  the one on the hill

shares his pain

(Peter howson's judas)

ristin on an ashet

flet peaches  -

thair sax bare erses

resting on a plate

flat peaches  -

their six bare bottoms

ettlin tae fit

key tae lock  -

the bodach's trummlin haun

trying to fit

key to lock  -

the old man's trembling hand

heavin up

frae the lum-heid

a coomy craw

rising

from the chimney-pot

a sooty crow

speuggie keeks

throuch the wisteria

...his purpie dreidlocks

sparrow peeps

through the wisteria

...his purple dreadlocks

pop-concert  -

alang the wey,

gairden wa's broukit wi pish

pop-concert  -

en-route, garden walls

stained with urine

waddin day  -

cleidit brawly in fite

the haw-tree

wedding day  -

dressed in glorious white

the hawthorn

 schuil Mass

...ah hearken

tae the rowin thunner

school Mass

...I hear

the rolling thunder

yestreen's pear flourish

flutherin doon  -

fite-heidit granbairns

yesterday's pear blossom

fluttering down  -

white-headed grandchildren

a patch 

o pish-the-beds  -

sum sins sum muins

a patch 

of dandelions  -

some suns some moons

sodger's gairden  -

pish-the-bed puff-baws

...caunles fir the deid

soldier's garden  -

dandelion puff-balls

...candles for the dead

coronation day -

abuin the burn

a crans' carnival

coronation day  -

above the stream

a swifts' carnival

i the busses

a mistaen flourish:

chaffie

in the bushes

a mistaken blossom:

chaffinch

in an oot

o the auld postbox:

blue-bonnets

in and out

of the old postbox:

blue-tits

ristin bi the waaterside

unner

a blae sauch-paittrened lift

resting by the riverside

under

a blue willow-patterned sky

pear flourish  -

...an yon tig o reid

on the petals' lips

pear blossom  -

...and that touch of red

on the petals' lips

airlie mornin -

the blinterin licht

o the eesock's breist

early morning  -

the flickering light

of the dippers breast

voar circus  -

tits birl bi  thair neb

on threid-thin sprigs

spring circus  -

tits spin by their beaks

on thread-thin twigs

on a cauld mornin

the birsle

o gean treen

on a cold morning

the warmth

of cherry trees

efter the mawin

a hirplin bummer

heidin fir the gairdener

after the mowing

a limping bee

heading for the gardener

voar scooryin

tae brust oot  -

magnolia's olympic blinkie

spring racing

to burst out  -

magnolia's olympic torch

cailleachs' yoga 

on the strand  -

tiggin taes...seiven muins!

old ladies' yoga

on the beach  -

touching toes..seven moons!

shinders

ower the firth

... bodachs daffin it petanque

shooting-stars

over the estuary 

...old men playing petanque

swaws rowin in

fite-cappit

...maws on the strand

waves rolling in

white-capped

...gulls on the shore

kintra nicht maisic  -

a dug barks, twa dugs bark

thray dugs...

country night music  -

a dog barks, two dogs bark

three dogs..

tropical Isle

fantoush farins

...granfaither blaws on's scoatch bree

tropical island

exotic foods

...granddad blows on his his scotch broth

 a fuffy queue  -

suddently a bairn croons

...smirks spreid

an impatient queue  -

suddenly a  child sings

...smiles spread

stert o the saison  -

in the soomin puil

a lane deuk 

start of the season  -

in the swimming pool

a lone duck 

swans  -

yin snecks sauch twigs

the ither's baggit shiffle

swans  -

one snips willow twigs

the other's pregnant shuffle

maggie

nest biggin  -

gies a haun wi the weedin

magpie

nest building  -

helps with the weeding

frae ma winnock  -

a tod lamps by, an

ambulance stops...it ma yett

from my window  -

a fox lopes past, an

ambulance stops...at my gate

leafless sauchs  -

thair yallaness an oorie

bonnienesss i the weet

leafless willows  -

their yellowness

a strange beauty in the rain

echa  -

the lassie quat her sang

i the unnerpass

echo  -

the young girl left her song

in the underpass

jazz i the gairden  -

bleckie bleck bleckie broon

... a blae egg

jazz in the garden  -

blackbird black blackbird brown

...a blue egg

.

mornin hunds

yowlin, knackin

the bunts o freesty ghaists

morning hounds

howling, snapping

the tails of frosty ghosts

fou muin  -

i the gairden bawdrons' een

...yalla sins

full moon  -

In the garden cat's eyes

...yellow suns

the fush-van

feshes a snowk o the sea

tae the causey

the fish-van

fetches a smell of the sea

to the street

fluid trock redd  -

the burn

croonin agane

flood debris cleared  -

the stream

singing again

roondin a bend i the burn  -

the suddent licht

o swans an snawdraps

rounding a bend in the stream  -

the sudden light 

of swans and snowdrops

covid lockdoon  -

we brunt oor palm corse

an sainit ilk ither

covid lockdown   -

we burned our palm cross

and blessed each other

(Ash wednesday)

voar sin  

a boorach

o daffins

spring sun

a cluster

of daffodils

her gairden

fou o plastic skwurrels  -

she  fells the rael yins!

her garden

full of plastic squirrels  -

she kills the real ones!

Valentine's day  -

twa speuggies 

halfers a fat-baw

Valentine's day  -

two sparrows

share a fat-ball

ma brunt haun hailin  -

its huil

bairnlie new

my burnt hand healing  -

its skin

baby new

craws in sinlicht  -

on the wa

dirlin graffitti

crows in sunlight  -

on the wall

kinetic graffitti

twa windae-waashers  -

ah suddently mynd

a cataract appintment

two window-cleaners  -

i suddenly remember

a cataract appointment

frae the yirthquak's 

derk bore  -  a peerie bairn

...caum it its hamecomin

from the earthquake's

dark hole  -  a tiny child

...calm at its second birth

hern

humphed

amang the snawdraps

heron

hunched

among the snowdrops

swan preenin  -

a bygaun jogger

...her pink pleats

swan preening  -

a passing jogger

...her pink pigtails

 swans

doverin on the snaw:

swans

asleep on the snow:

wunter mornin  -

throuch lace hingers

 jeelt brainches

winter morning  -

through lace curtains

 frozen branches

new neebours  -

thair bawdrons veesits

weirin a reid boo-tie

new neighbours  -

their cat visits

wearing a red bow-tie

hogmanay rackets

brustin bricht fir saiconts

...the leal muin

new year fireworks

bursting bright for seconds

...the constant moon

alang the plainstanes  -

Yule treen untinselled

heeld on the buckets

along the pavement  -

Christmas trees untinselled

lean on the dustbins

furst day it schuil  -

mithers

greitin

first day at school  -

mothers

crying

Yule mornin  -

treen ableeze wi sparks

sae perfitly space't

Christmas morning  -

trees ablaze with raindrops

so perfectly spaced

 2023  -

a new neb waukens

in shut-doon door-cheek

2023  -

a new face wakens

in  a closed-down doorway