doon it the mou  -

a moose's reft

granfaither's chocolate

disappointed  -

a mouse has stolen

grandfather's chocolate

hairst wunds  -

leaves

preein ither treen

autumn winds  -

leaves

trying out other trees

hairst mornin  -

derk skelets

an the gairden fou o leaves

autumn morning  -

dark skeletons

and the garden full of leaves

i the sin

she rists her heid

on a fedder bed  -  swan

in the sun

she rests her head

on a feather bed  -  swan

Reid Rab  -

hodden amang

the rodden berries

robin  -

hidden amongst

the rowan berries

thair an no thair  -

Reid Rab kittles

the auld gairdner

there and not there  -

the robin teases

the old gardener

a suddent glent

jinkin throuch the gairden

...mauppie's bun

a sudden flash zigzagging

through the garden

...rabbit's tail

 a swan preens

in a buls-ee o reengs

...weir i the err

a swan preens

in a bullseye of rings

...war in the air

hairst

leaves faw

...greitin sauch

autumn

leaves fall

...weeping willow

a furst Reid Rab

pluffin's 

bricht new breist

a first robin

puffing

his bright new breast

did oniebodie

hearken tae the pluffs 

...bleckened brume huils

did anybody

hear the explosions

...blackened broom pods

a perk o sinflooers

thair derk heids hingin

Christ-lik

a field of sunflowers

their dark heads hanging

Christ-like

efter the waddin

burds romp 

amangst skailt rice

after the wedding

birds revel

amongst scattered rice

 danderin throuch the cloister  

myndins

skimmerin

strolling through the cloister

memories

flickering

the fooneral bell's

airn

TUNG!!!

the funeral bell's

iron

TONGUE!!!

dinsome pilgrims  -

the maister

snibs's door

noisy pilgrims  -

the master

locks his door

mornin Mass  -

thunner an lichtnin...

or God took a photy!

morning Mass  -

thunder and lightning...

or God took a photograph!

youthlins

borein it the priesthood

syndin oot thair unnerweir

young men

studying for the priesthood

washing out their underwear 

auld kirk  

towrists stoor in an oot:

thair's naethin thair...they threep!

old church

tourists rush in and out:

there's nothing there...they say!

doactor's surgery  -

awbodie

tae-tappin

doctor's surgery  -

everybody

toe-tapping

throuch the haar

brichtness o reid aipples

bein washt

through the mist

brightness of red apples

being washed

International Mass  -

bund thegither

...luve (ly) mosaic!

International Mass  -

bound together

...love (ly) mosaic!

vide causeys  -

casten intae the plainstanes

peever beds

derelict streets  -

faded into the pavement

hopscotch beds

rodden tree

laden wi berries  -

nae Yule tree bonnier

rowan tree

laden wi berries  -

no Christmas tree lovelier

auld photy  -

sinlicht's wrocht

ghaists o the faimilie

old photograph  -

sunlight's made ghosts

of the family

derk cluds  -

on the burn

splatches o blae

dark clouds  -

on the stream

patches of blue

coorse wunds

soop athort the burn

...furrd broos

rough winds

sweep across the stream

...furrowed brows

hoose o the weeda-man  -

ower the doorbell

a muckle wab

house of the widower  -

over the doorbell

a huge web

gift shoppie  -

amang the fossils

her emerant fingernails

gift shop  -

among the fossils

her green fingernails

the youthie rinner

oot trainin  -

the burn an me clappin

the young runner

out training  -

the stream and I clapping

scartit intae the pew:

A N

loos

J C

scratched into the pew:

A N

loves

J C

 creepin eevie tooters

hystit, afftakkin

...juist ill tae win at!

bindweed trumpets

raised mockingly

...just out of reach!

days o drouth  -

the burns skelet

shawin throuch

days of drought  -

the stream's skeleton

showing through

butterie

afftakkin the bodach

stoiterin

butterfly

mocking the old man

staggering

seterday mornin play  

...keengfusher

fushin

saturday morning pastime  

...kingfisher

fishing

the lowpin troot

goves doon on perfit circles

...zen maister

the leaping trout

stares down on perfect circles

...zen master

the watter

stooryin back

tae the sea, tae the lift

the river

racing back

to the sea, to the sky

it rist

atween thae reefu weengs

...keengfusher

at rest

between those frantic wings 

...kingfisher

scuil hoalidays  -

he hunkers on biggin saun

ere faither's lowsin tyme

school holidays  -

he sits on building sand

till father's finishing time

craw dooks's derkness

intae the burn

whilk swallaes it

crow dips his darkness

into the stream

which swallows it

jazz throuch the apen door  -

a butterie

jitterbugs by

jazz through the open door  -

a butterfly

jitterbugs by

maggie

hunkers on the bucket lid  -

ah'm tentie o't thinkin

magpie

sits on the bin lid  -

I watch it thinking

throuch stoor they hoastit 

an kerved cathedrals

...braw heidstanes

through dust they coughed

and carved cathedrals

...magnificent headstones

acer

reid nebbit

it its ain bonnieness

acer

blushing

at its own beauty

 weet mornin  -

snail an me

...oor hystit umbrellys

wet morning  -

snail and I

...our raised umberellas

faw'n nest  -

sae perfitly roond

sae beinly

fallen nest  -

so perfectly round

so comforting

his days o sheddaes  

baurs thit urnae thair  -

ma manic freen

his days of shadows  

bars that aren't there  -

my manic friend

a peerie butterie

focht the wund

tae hunker aside me

a little butterfly

battled the wind

to sit beside me

owercast  -

sum flooers

sweirt tae apen

overcast  -

some flowers

hesitant to open

 votin day  -

pickin a dander

bi the watterside

election day  -

choosing

a walk by the riverside

bawdrons stoors taewarts me

prood

o's moothfou o moose

cat races towards me

proud

of his mouthful of mouse

the auld Muslim

an the auld Christian waff

...they ken the truith!

the old Muslim

and the old Christian wave

...they know the truth!

amang sic dour fowk

the yalla-gowans'

smirking nebs

among such grim folk

the daisies'

smiling faces

licht traivilt

fowerteen billion year

fir his wae een tae  -  dormoose

light travelled

fourteen billion years

for his sad eyes too  -  dormouse

efter the yirdin

he hunkers souchin:

Somewhere over the rainbow

after the funeral

he sits humming:

Somewhere over the rainbow

flags droop

pipes foonder i the cunyie

...anither brust fitbaw

flags droop

bagpipes slump in the corner

...another burst football

(EUROS 2024)

in her phone buik

mair nummers scartit oot

nor byde

in her phone book

more numbers scratched out

than remain

in the bus shelter

a snorlie condom

...a vaige endit

in the bus shelter

a knotted condom

...a journey ended

the ceildh ower

bairns' herts brustin

boa fedders errborne

the concert over

childrens' hearts bursting

boa feathers airborne

(for Amelia)

 D-Day  -

i the gairden puppies

stan fest i the blowster

D-Day  -

in the garden poppies

stand fast in the storm

 the speengie rose apenin

tyme

fir the drouthy bummer

the peony rose opening

time

for the thirsty bee

the watterside

bangin up

efter the fluid

the riverbanks

rising up

after the flood

trystin wi maggie on the rod  -

a bode

or semply a haiku?

meeting magpie on the road  -

an omen

or simply a haiku?

twa fremmit fowk  -

the bleckie's croonin's

stellt thaim

two strangers  -

the blackbird's singing

has brought them to a standstill

snail in's shall

aw day

...this dinsome neebour

snail in his shell

all day

...this noisy neighbour

voar dichtin  -

attercap mizzlin

intae the vacuum

spring cleaning  -

spider disappearing

into the vacuum

the maple tree

streetchin

chappin it the door

the maple tree

stretching

knocking at the door

watterside dander

atween

twa lifts

riverside walk

between

two skies

hinmaist day  -

on the strand tourists

coontin thair bawbees

last day  -

on the beach tourists

counting their coins

spanish Mass  -

the priest alowe

ceilin fans birlin...lift aff!

spanish Mass  -

the priest on fire

ceiling fans spinning...lift off!

jazz i the perk  -

a braw tenor sax

seelensce't the rooster

jazz in the park  -

a beautiful tenor sax

silenced the cockerel

 the skinklin sea  -

doon bi the harbour

the landit catch skinklin

the glittering sea  -

down by the harbour

the landed catch glittering

airlie mornin rooster

ma fere

...on weekdays!

early morning cockerel  -

my friend

...on weekdays!

 the crippelt laddie's draigon

rives

it his hert

the disabled boy's kite

tugs

at his heart

a suddent shooer

his colourfou umberellae

...a wattergaw

a sudden shower

his colourfull umbrella

...a rainbow

gean tree

fifty year auld  -

a stoup o stoor

cherry tree

fifty years old  -

a pillar of dust

lown mornin  -

pish-the-bed clocks

bydin...

calm morning  -

dandelion clocks

waiting...

slawly abuin the palin

peerie nebs

...aipple flourish

slowly above the fence 

tiny faces

...apple blossom

ah sned the furst sway  -

butterie chacks

it fir strauchtness

I cut the first swathe  -

butterfly checks

it for straightness

sweelin wund  -

gean tree

flamenco

swirling wind  -

cherry tree

flamenco

throuch the steadin

a speuggie

its neb fou o strae

through the building site

a sparrow

its beak full of straw

unner the tree

a tuim shoppin cairt

fouin wi fawin fruct

under the tree

an empty shopping trolley

filling with falling fruit

new maisic  -

days o weet

hiv chynged the burn's souch

new music  -

days of rain

have changed the stream's tone

blue bonnets in an oot

o the auld post boax

...a deleevery suin?

blue tits in and out

of the old post box

...a delivery soon?

yoga cless  -

a bummer's equal-aqual

on a flooer's heid

yoga class  -

a bee balances

on a flower's head

the african  lassie

feshes a glintin smirk

tae a dreich day

the african girl

fetches a gleaming smile

to a dull wet day

the bodach an the bummer

rist a whilie  - syne yoke tae

gairdenin 

the old man and the bee

rest a while  -  then set to

gardening 

muinlicht

skailt on the brainches

peer flourish

moonlight

scattered on the branches

pear blossom

oot frae the chippy

a bodach  -

sheddae o a maw follaes him

out from the chip-shop

an old man  -

shadow of a gull follows him

sneck aff the T.V.

hearken: a burd

croonin on the aerial

turn  off the T.V.

listen: a bird

singing on the aerial

ginge gibbie-cat

peerie teeger

sowpin frae a bowlie

ginger tom

little tiger

supping from a bowl

i the scrogs

a tasht bottle seegnals:

sinsheen an cluds

in the undergrowth

a broken bottle signals:

sunshine and clouds

ink-derk burn -

calligraphy 

o sweels an swirls

ink-dark stream  -

calligraphy 

of eddies and whirlpools

blowster  

skirlin

a rin-awa bucket

gale

howling

a run-away dustbin

athort the pome

a peerie reid eemock

...its bluid bydes, a comma

across the poem

a little red ant  

...its blood remains, a comma

fundin ma auld truan -

baith o's rousty nou  

we'll bigg nae mair wa's

finding my old trowel  -

both of us rusty now  

we'll build no more walls

it the winnock

a bummer  -

a drone wi nae steeng!

at the window

a bee  -

a drone with no sting!

Gaza, 

Guid Friday  

'...heids o enless Christs rowe doon'

Gaza, 

Good Friday  

'...heads of endless Christs roll down'

(HUGH MacDIARMID  -  THE INNUMERABLE CHRIST)

Gaza  -

oot frae the stoor: a bairn

...an back tae the stoor

Gaza  -

out from the dust: a child

...and back to the dust

daffins an blaebells:

a'm myndit o Eukraine  -

nae voar thair yit!

daffodils and bluebells:

I think of Eukraine  -

no spring there yet!

a bygaun train honks  -

heich abuin

swans repone

a passing train honks  -

high above

swans answer

the dowie causey

suddentlie ableeze

...gean flourish

the dreary street

suddenly ablaze

...cherry blossom

on the bike peth

a dirlin bob o blae-

bells!!!

on the cycle path

a vibrant bunch of blue-

bells!!!

the priest threeps:

'the wurd o God'

...a bairn ca's oot

the priest intones:

'the word of god'

...a child cries out

skypin faimilie

faur an near  -  in the gairden

a wab dirls

skyping family

far and near  -  in the garden

a web quivers

mornin  Mass

throuch a stour  -  the braes

a'ready in mantillas

morning Mass

through a blizzard  -  the hills

already in mantillas

voar  -

cheetlins

growein looder

spring  -

chirpings

growing louder

peerie blue bonnet

yer heid bobbin whit

maisic dae ye hearken tae?

little blue-tit

your head bobbing

what music do you hear?

voar's airmy

on the muive  - pynts o thair leisters 

awroads

spring's army

on the move  - points of their spears 

everywhere

the sin sheen's

on the tuim fusky boattle  -

he thocht the sin blinkit in't

the sun shines

on the empty whisky bottle  -

he thought the sun shone in it!

watterside scart  -

its spreid weengs

walcumin the sin

riverbank cormorant  -

its spread wings 

welcoming the sun

keek o day  

muives athort the gairden

freest stooryin aheid

sunrise

moves across the garden

frost racing ahead

i the tirl

daffins skewin

tentie o the burn bygaun

in the breeze

daffodils turning

watching the stream pass by

aw alang the causey

sensor lichts cum on  -

bawdrons' midnicht dander

all along the street

sensor lights come on  -

cat's midnight walk

the bodach

stoiterin nou

thankrife fir a broun haun

the old man

staggering now

grateful for a brown hand

fooneral Mass

a babbie groozles  -

baith ens o the meesterie

funeral Mass

a baby gurgles  -

both ends of the mystery

yon tyme agane -

wirms streekin

pizzel-pink

that time again  -

worms stretching

penis-pink

fund:

a bruckle scrieve

frae a bruckle laddie

found:

a fragile letter

from a fragile boy

sparks on a brainch

rowe an dunt

...newton's beddie

raindrops on a branch

roll and bump

...newton's cradle

Mardi Gras glamour  -

bairns tap-daunce:

bottle-taps stellt tae thair shuin

Mardi Gras magic  -

children tap-dance:

bottle-tops fixed to their shoes

a bleckie hunkers

fusslin

on the sinny side o the tree

a blackbird sits

whistling

on the sunny side of the tree

i the deid buddhist's

gairden

new buds 

in the dead buddhist's 

garden

new buds

i the auld neibourheid

awbodie gane  -

a lane maw's oorie skirl

in the old neighbourhood

everybody gone  -

a lone gull's eerie cry

meditation oor  -

a bleck bawdrons

corses the snaw

meditation hour  -

a black cat

crosses the snow

weet mornin  --

daffins

nid noddin as a gae bye

wet morning  -

daffodils

nodding as i pass

sainin hersel

the disabled lassie

lichts caunles fir ithers

blessing herself

the disabled girl

lights candles for others

swan

coories on'r nest

the cob stravaigs up an doon

swan

sits on her nest

the cob paces up and down

Ukraine bunker  -

bawdrons scarts's lug

on a weirheid

Ukraine bunker  -

cat scratches it's ear

on a warhead

agnes an ciaran

babet an isha:

blowsters cryin doon ma lum

agnes and ciaran

babet and isha:

storms shouting down my chimney

hern dumfoonert:

the bleck muscle

o a cairtwheelin otter

heron amazed:

the black muscle

of a cartwheeling otter

eesock poised tae dook  -

sibness

hus me on ma taes

dipper poised to dive  -

empathy

has me on my toes

 efter days o weet

nieve duntin

the sin

after days of rain

fist bumping

the sun

bruckle flooers

flourishin an deein

...midnicht rackets

fragile flowers

blossoming and dying

...midnight fireworks