aipple-tree brainches
mair nakit -
aipples growein reidder




apple-tree branches
more naked -
apples growing redder

hairst mornin -
maple leaves
on a gean tree




autumn morning -
maple leaves
on a cherry tree

ruggin the hingers
reid rab settin on the stroop -
furst Yule caird




drawing the curtains
a robin sits on the pump -
first Christmas card

the hail orchard
shakkin -
skwurrels a'where




the whole orchard
shaking -
sqirrels everywhere

the pail muives aff -
a bleckie yitters
on the tuim burd-table




the hearse moves off -
a blackbird chatters
on the empty bird-table

mids the burdsang
craw twangs sumthin's intimmers
oot frae the taur




amidst the birdsong
crow twangs something's intestines
out from the tar

amang the leaves
a fedder -
dichtit smeeth bi arctic wunds




among the leaves
a feather -
brushed smooth by arctic winds

beekin thair hauns
at the bleeze
...reid maple leaves spreid




warming their hands
at the bonfire
...red maple leaves spread

the bodach
hauds oot the wanits -
runkilt broon hauns




the old man
holds out the walnuts -
wrinkled brown hands

fitba pitch merkit oot:
stents o the gemme -
owerheid a bomber souchs




football field marked out:
grids of the game -
overhead a bomber drones

toon sirens skirl -
a fou muin agane
...ayewis smirkin




city sirens scream -
a full moon again
...always smiling

sauch leaves fawin -
oor lest
fareweels




willow leaves falling -
our last
farewells



(for padres Ron and E.J. of chicago)

coortin kipple
a coffee atween thaim -
stame heavin




young lovers
a coffee between them -
steam rising

throuch the nicht
the wund -
leaves scartin the causey




through the night
the wind -
leaves scratching the sidewalk

leaves tummlin
the aipples byde
...reid-chaftit bairns fuffin




leaves falling
the apples remain
...red-cheeked children puffing

on a stob
a craw tentie -
fite burds abuin the kirk




on a post
a crow watching -
white birds above the church

afore licht
afore burdsang -
the monastery bell




before light
before birdsong -
the monastery bell

the maisic
o cuit-deep leaves -
a fou muin keeks oot




the music
of ankle-deep leaves -
a full moon peeps out

cocktail pairty -
a peerie moch wyvein
wearyin ilka ane




cocktail party -
a tiny moth weaving
annoying everyone

in the sin
streekin a gentie spyog -
the monastery bawdrons




in the sun
stretching an elegant leg -
the monastery cat

the Angelus bell -
twa butteries jine us
...syne a bummer




the Angelus bell -
two butterflies join us
...and then a bee

mornin incaains -
the cushats' cheetlin
throuch the cloisters




morning prayers -
the wood-pigeons' warbling
through the cloisters

freesty mornin -
oot frae a jaur
the rizzard lavender's blae braith




frosty morning -
out from a jar
the dried lavender's blue breath

a flee slawly
corses the lozen -
we skair its hinmaist day




a fly slowly
crosses the pane -
we share its last day

the bodach
heelds on's besom -
yin hinmaist leaf tae faw




the old man
leans on his brush -
one last leaf to fall


(for Tom)

a faw'n petal
weet dings on't -
its reidness




a fallen petal
rain beats on it -
its redness

aneath the nicht's
bricht constellations -
snail's siller fuit-prents




beneath the night's
bright constellations -
snail's silver foot-prints

his shuin
left oot aw nicht -
fou o leaves




his shoes
left out all night -
full of leaves

anither yirdin -
sin blinters on the spaiks
o a birlin trinnle




another funeral -
sun glitters on the spokes
of a turning wheel

abuin the burn
maws skirlin -
nae breid the day anely leaves




above the stream
gulls screaming -
no bread today only leaves

the hern gants
its neb chizorin the err -
leaves faw aroon'm




the heron yawns
its beak scissoring the air -
leaves fall around him

kirstenin -
the bairn an the watter
groozlin thegither




christening -
the baby and the water
gurgling together

catchit i the pent
a peerie flee - its weeng
glentin i the licht




caught in the paint
a tiny fly - its wing
flashing in the light

tuim playgrun -
leaves rowin ower
the peever beds




empty playground -
leaves rolling over
the hopscotch beds

the maggie haps
frae brainch tae brainch -
the bodachs daffin at chess




the magpie hops
from branch to branch -
the old men playing chess

in the bucket
amang the yill bottles -
a hairst muin




in the dustbin
among the beer bottles -
a harvest moon

frae door tae door -
the postie
the craw




from door to door -
the postman
the crow


(for my grandmother who thought a bird at the window
was a harbinger of bad news)

snell mornin
the bairns' reid nebs -
hollin-berries tae




cold morning
the childrens' red faces -
holly-berries too

leaves
the colour o deuks' nebs -
amang the deuks' nebs




leaves
the colour of ducks' bills -
among the ducks' bills

his wab
spreids athort the winnock -
blinterin colours




his web
spreads across the window -
flickering colours

a hinmaist leam o sin -
a wesp beeks's feet
on the letterbox




a last ray of sun -
a wasp warms his feet
on the letterbox

screedin aff
the poor's-hoose makar -
a bog corses the page




reading aloud
the skid row poet -
a bug crosses the page

(for Buk)

in the yin sinny cheer -
tentie o the oam's
cheengin pattrens




in the one sunny chair -
watching the condensation's
changing patterns

untouchit brummles
glister -
naebodie cums




untouched brambles
glitter -
no one comes

keek o day -
the postie's reid bag
boabbin




sunrise -
the postman's red bag
bobbing

hail-water -
snail in's glore
steeks oot's chist




torrential rain -
snail in his element
sticks out his chest

the drouthie's gairden -
twa reid aipples gove
at the bleck-ee'd susan




the drunkard's garden -
two red apples stare
at the black-eyed susan

on her hunkers
settin oot neist year's bulbs -
the cailleach




on her knees
planting next year's bulbs -
the old lady

a hinmaist koi yirdit -
anely sheddaes nou
in the dub




a last koi buried -
only shadows now
in the pond

hairst wund -
a lang wab-threid
pits oot fause news




autumn wind -
a long web-thread
sends false messages

biggin a shrine
Reid Rab tentie -
the verra dab...sum reid!




building a shrine
a robin watches -
just what's needed...some red!

hairst jeel
a lane cran snokes -
no sae monie jinks an jouks




autumn chill
a lone swift hunts -
not so many twists and turns

tree's sheddae
hings on the cunyie -
growein shilpit




tree's shadow
leans on the corner -
growing thin

5 am. glowers
throuch the knock's gless -
maws skirlin





5 am. stares
through the clock's glass -
gulls screaming

in a dub o licht
leaves slawly lair -
mennens tak tent




in a pool of light
leaves slowly submerge -
minnows watch

leaves hauf-green
hauf-yalla -
a'whaur hairst's flag




leaves half-green
half-yellow -
everywhere autumn's flag

furst hairst wunds -
the gairden
chitters an shaks




first autumn winds -
the garden
shivers and shakes

the cailleach
joukin an jinkin -
conkers fawin




the old lady
ducking and dodging -
chestnuts falling

grown-up gairden
lavender progs throuch the palin -
wints slaikin




overgrown garden
lavender pokes through the fence -
wants caressing

yin lowe
i the gairden bouet's gless:
Rose o Sharon




one flame
in the garden lantern's glass:
Rose Of Sharon

jazz clarinet -
a bleck butterie
daunces roon the wireless




jazz clarinet -
a black butterfly
dances round the radio

wuidcarver's shoppie
waffin o pine
...his gurlie hauns




woodcarver's shop
smelling of pine
...his gnarled hands

drapt rosary
snaggit on a breer -
a drap o bluid




dropped rosary
caught on a thorn -
a drop of blood

twa flees on her airm
ill-daein -
mornin glories apen- mou'd




two flies on her arm
being naughty -
morning glories open-mouthed

yin scuip o ice-cream -
in the siller spuin
licht o a hairst muin




one scoop of ice-cream -
in the silver spoon
light of a harvest moon

lik the aipples
reid chaftit:
ower muckle wine




like the apples
red cheeked:
too much wine

drumlie
muin-leukin hindert -
mak dae wi schnapps




cloudy
moon-viewing cancelled -
make do with schnapps

fleitin
athort a fou muin -
the deid koi




floating
across a full moon -
the dead koi

flee cannae heave up
frae the flair -
skailt brandy




fly can't rise up
from the floor -
spilt brandy

a backgrun
o blues -
cluds improvisin




a background
of blues -
clouds improvising

in the gairden -
Buddha smirkin
cum weet cum sin




in the garden -
Buddha smiling
come rain come sun

japanese gairden -
ma sheddae switters
ower the chingle




japanese garden -
my shadow ripples
over the shingle

the auld 'boglie hoose' -
maw's sheddae
a derk corse




the old 'haunted house' -
gull's shadow
a dark cross

the hail brae set aff -
a heel-merk
aside ilka saplin




the whole hillside planted -
a heel-mark
beside each sapling

faimlie ceilidh -
granfaither aye
a hauf-souch laicher




family sing-song -
grandfather always
a half-tone lower

on the peth
a pickle leaves -
fuspers o hairst




on the path
a few leaves -
whispers of autumn

peerie moch
bouk o a spark
duntin throuch the weet




tiny moth
size of a raindrop
bumping through the rain

deuks:
tapsalteerie, reengin
cluds at thair feet




ducks:
upsidedown, searching
clouds at their feet

scuil's back:
causey
o peerie dramas




school's back:
street
of tiny dramas

bi the heidstane
a wund-chime -
the anely vice as we quat




by the headstone
a wind-chime -
the only voice as we leave

fite roses
govein heivenwarts
glowe i the licht




white roses
gazing heavenwards
glow in the light


(feast of the assumption)

kettle's
box maisic -
pirls on the watter




picnic's
accordion music -
ripples on the water

in her gairden
the cailleach dovers -
the sinflooer's heid stints




in her garden
the old lady dozes -
the sunflower's head droops

thrisseldoon stack
tae the speuggie's neb -
seems tae lou his baird




thistledown stuck
to the sparrow's beak -
seems to enjoy his beard

on the lown watter -
gowsts o wund
apenin fans o pirls




on the still water -
gusts of wind
opening fans of ripples

skreich o day -
licht muives athort
the boo o the aipple




dawn -
light moves across
the curve of the apple

fou muin
follaes me hame - fite bawdrons
curlt on ma doorstane




full moon
follows me home -
white cat curled on my doorstep

'anither sodger deid' -
they blaw cuil tirls
athort thair tae-cups




'another soldier dead' -
they blow cool breezes
across their tea-cups

bubblie on a peth -
sauch brainches
scuff her shouthers




tearful on a path -
willow branches
touch her shoulders

on a lanely peth
a bummer bizzes
...reasseerinly




on a lonely path
a bee buzzes
...reassuringly

sin throuch the leaves -
gies granny a tattoo
an aw




sun through the leaves -
gives grandmother
a tattoo also

frae the brig
tentie o the frog corssin
...the hern bidein




from the bridge
watching the frog crossing
...the heron waiting

bairn's neb at the winnock -
mornin glories
fouin wi weet




child's face at the window -
morning glories
filling with rain

weet spae -
snail strunts
oot fir the day




wet forecast -
snail swaggers
out for the day

pishin i the camp shunkie
attercap rins...
keeks...rins




peeing in the camp latrine
spider runs...
watches...runs

wund throuch
the new palin-reens -
anither vice i the gairden




wind through
the new fence-slats -
another voice in the garden

pattrens o licht
fleitin throuch the treen -
plash o an aipple fawin




patterns of light
floating through the trees -
splash of an apple falling

furst brummles
bricht een
gove at me frae the buss




first brambles
bright eyes
gaze at me from the bush

fir a spleet saicont -
maw an butterie
on the samen loopin peth




for a split second -
gull and butterfly
on the same winding path

sae drearifu -
wesps deein
in a dub o hinny




so sad -
wasps dying
in a puddle of honey