auld pit fou'd in

a meedie nou  -  a bummer

hings tapsalteerie, trauchlin

old mine filled in

a meadow now  -  a bee hangs

upside down, toiling

burd it the winnock  -

granny'd

thraw'r hauns aw nicht

bird at the window  -

grandmother

would wring her hands all night

Guid Friday  -

bygaun the steadin

...hemmert brods

Good Friday  -

passing the building site

...hammered nails

a rugby baw 

fleets on the burn  -

deuks wunner it the muckle egg

a rugby ball

floats on the stream  -

ducks wonder at the huge egg

efter the drouth

flooers noddin druckenly

as ah gang by

after the drought

flowers nodding drunkenly

as I pass by

aumond flourish

oosie cluds

aumond flourish...

almond blossom

furry clouds

almond blossom...

sinlicht muives cannily

alang a wab threid

...shoogly tichtrope

sunlight moves carefully

along a web thread

...shaky tightrope

i the gairden

tentie o life streetchin

intae its simmer claes

in the garden

watching life stretching

into its summer  clothes

Madonna stookie

bi the burd-bath  -

aw the burds boo doon

Madonna statue

by the bird-bath  -

all the birds bow down

happin the haugh

wull garlic

...voar confetti

covering the riverbank

wild garlic

...spring confetti

efter his faw

anither blae medal

on granfaither's chist

after his fall

another blue medal

on grandfather's chest

sinblinks throuch the kirk winnock  -

incense reek hurls on thain

aye upwarts

sunbeams through the church window  -

incense smoke rides them

ever upwards

the luve

o the blin dug

caws me doon

the love

of the blind dog

bowls me over

a jeelin wund an sin

fechtin it oot  -

wunter juist wullnae gae doon

an icy wind and sun

slugging it out  -

winter just will not go down

maggie

taks aff frae the gairden

weirin a bussie mouser

magpie

takes off from the garden

wearing a bushy moustache

ilka day

tae the samen flooer  -

is't the samen bummer?

every day

to the same flower  -

is it the same bee?

the bodach

stops tae read the graffiti

...dernin's waant o a rist

the old man

stops to read the graffiti

...hiding his need to rest

abuin the nursery

craw hunkers

...bydin fir the nirls

above the nursery

crow sits

...waiting for the crumbs

granny growes an crines,

growes an crines

...babbie's new sweeng

granny grows and shrinks,

grows and shrinks

...baby's new swing

his moothie

liggs in'ts box  -

fir waant o braith

his harmonica

lies in its box  -

for want of breath

aw day

the yin bummer

trevellin the hinny rod

all day

the one bee

travelling the honey road

ma banjoist freen,

his banjo oot o tuin

...dementia

my banjoist friend,

his banjo out of tune

...dementia

this mornin

the birk tree's

a siller plash

this morning

the birch tree

is a silver splash

i the press

fernyear's bulbs sproot  -  

kennin it's voar afore ah dae

in the cupboard

last year's bulbs sprout  -  

knowing its spring before I do

sic douceness  -

the lily's

braith

such sweetness  -

the lily's

breath

sinlicht sprauchles

on the cairpet

wabbit frae sica vaig

sunlight sprawls

on the carpet

weary from such a journey

this mornin

the lily apened

...dumfoonert

this morning

the lily opened

...astonished

 bannock tuesday  -

the mill's bummer trombones

...anither Mardi Gras

pancake tuesday  -

the factory's horn trombones

...another Mardi Gras

blae bonnets on brainches

frae tap tae boddom

...cheetlin scale

blue tits on branches

from top to bottom

...twittering scale

bodach  

cairryin's feesic hame

...hert in a poke

old man

carrying his medicine home

...heart in a  bag

a dander i the perk  -

taigilt in dug-luve

it ilka step

a walk in the park  -

tangled in dog-love

at every step

his bombed hame  -

the anely licht is sinlicht

sypin throuch bullet-holes

his bombed home  -

the only light is sunlight

seeping through bullet-holes

tree fellers muive in   -

hameless craws

girnin

tree fellers move in  -

homeless crows

grumbling

bygaun the nursery

kittlie yatterin

...dernit burds

passing the nursery

excited chattering

...hidden birds

peerie crocus  -

blate

amang the daffins

tiny crocus  -

shy

amongst the daffodils

mr an mrs saw neb

soomin fit fir fit

on this Valentine's day

mr and mrs goosander

swimming side by side

on this Valentine's day

 gloamin -

alang the watterside

snawdrap bouets hing

twilight  -

along the riverside

snowdrop lanterns hang

maggies i the gairden

hop an daff

...chess cums tae mynd

magpies in the garden

hop and play

...chess comes to mind

tooer lowe  -

the tuim shall

stauns, a lairstane

tower fire  -

the empty shell

stands, a gravestone

a tinglin frae the wuids  -

whaur the burn rins

an blaebells growe

a tinkling from the woods  -

where the stream runs

and bluebells grow

kirk flair

fou o crecks

...whaur the yirth muived

church floor

full of cracks

...where the earth moved

a petal faws

ontae the jotter

...scriever's jam ower

a petal falls

onto the notebook

...writer's block over

...

a quate queir

aboot tae croon

...daffins apenin

a silent choir

about to sing

...daffodils opening

rottan an craw

teug o weirin

wi a deid chookie

rat and crow

tug of warring

with a dead chicken

Burn's nicht  -

haggis an neeps

tatties an shoogly legs

Burn's night  -

haggis and turnips

potatoes and wobbly legs

blowster Eowyn

agin the winnock

...a hird's huifs

storm Eowyn  

against the window

...a herd's hooves

( Eowyn  -  horse lover)

freest agane  -

i the ghaistly gairden

girss stauns on en

frost again  -

in the ghostly garden

grass stands on end

hame wi'r new hurkle-bane  

he sneds a slae brainch  -

a limb tae mak'r stieve

home with her new hip-bone  

he cuts a blackthorn branch  -

a limb to steady her

doverin,

heid on a concrete pillae

...hameless bunnle

asleep,

head on a concrete pillow

...homeless bundle

on freestit girss

heroin needles

an spuins

on frosted grass

heroin needles

and spoons

hivvie snaw

driftin

swans

heavy snow

drifting

swans

frost  -

the plainstanes glentin

a bodach chitterin

frost  -

the pavement sparkling

an old man shivering

freesty mornin  -

the hern fushin

the bodach's dreepin neb

frosty morning  -

the heron fishing

the old man's dripping nose

boxing day  

tuimness, quate  -

anely the coot waffs's bunt

boxing day  

emptiness, silence  -

only the coot waves his tail

the day on the tree

anither gee-gaw

...crescent muin

today on the tree

another ornament

...crescent moon

 Yule  -

cairryin hame the bubbly jock

reestin tae mait the deuks

Christmas  -

carrying home the turkey

stopping to feed the ducks

on the lintel

a fou muin

sheens frae a bing o clinks

on the mantlepiece

a full moon

shines from a pile of coins

daw lift  -

the burn

alowe

dawn sky  -

the stream

on fire

Advent caunle  -

anither inch o licht

i the derkness

Advent candle  -

another inch of light

in the darkness

owernicht thowe  -

the snawman's

on the rin

overnight thaw -

the snowman's

on the run

 frae the hossie winnock

cluds gaither  -

sall we cry thaim a waeness?

from the hospital window

clouds gather  -

shall we call them a sadness?

Yestreen

a gliskit ma faither's haun

raxin oot frae ma ain

last night

I glimpsed  my father's hand

stretching out from my own

scrievers' jam  -

nae maitter hou monie tymes

the swan hauds by

writers' block  -

no matter how many times

the swan passes by

a waffin

frae'r winnock?

naw, a fawin leaf

a waving

from her window?

no, a falling leaf

on the acer

a hinmaist reid leaf  -

throuch the brainches, sindoon

on the acer

a last red leaf  -

through the branches, sunset

aneath fawin leaves

auld feres tryst

...syne win awa

beneath falling leaves

old friends meet

...then leave

pumpkin heids

aye smirkin

...intae the broth-pot

pumpkin heads

still smiling

...into the soup-pot

jogger oot frae the derk

airms sprauchlin

...wabster wuman

jogger out from the dark

arms flailing

...spider woman

hallae e'en  -

pumpkin heids fleet i the derk

...peerie sangs an rimes

halloween  -

pumpkin heads float in the dark

...little songs and rhymes

wundblawn leaves

drien alang the causey

...hearken tae thair scartin

windblown leaves

driven along the street

...hear their scratching

the hunter's muin

hus sichtit

a tod

the hunter's moon

has spotted

a fox

 faw'n leaves

sweil an lowp

...hairst ballet

fallen leaves

swirl and leap

...autumnal ballet

hairst  -

the airtist chirts oot

his umber tube

autumn  -

the artist squeezes out

his umber tube

plashin

throuch the wuids  -

the musky snowk o hairst

squelching

through the woods  -

the musky smell of autumn

throuch oor upwreilin braith

we're tentie

o the geese leavin

through our rising breath

we watch

the geese leaving

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

the gairden fou o leaves

autumn morning  -

dark skeletons

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