pop concert  -

on the wey

the rodden tree's  bricht beads

pop concert  -

on the way

the rowan tree's bright beads

atween snawy braes

the inky burn scrieves itsel

intae a haiku

between snowy banks

the inky stream writes itself

into a haiku

drones owerheid  -

a snawman stauns

forrittsome!

drones overhead  -

a snowman stands

defiant!

Yule gee-gaws

stowed awa  -

'Jingle bells' frae the aumrie

Christmas decorations

packed away  -

'Jingle bells' from the cupboard

a dander

throuch the derk wuids  -

mappie's bunt lichts the wey

a walk 

through the dark woods  -

rabbit's tail lights the way

the postie's crecklin fuitsteps  -

a caird

postit in simmer hait

the postman's crackling footsteps  -

a card

posted in summer heat

sica blowt:

craw skirlin it me  -

his reid thrapple

such an eruption:

crow screaming at me  -

his red throat

  

derk burds dover

amang derk brainches

...net o dwams

dark birds sleep

amongst dark branches

...net of dreams

brennin leaves  -

the suddent sperk

o Reid Rab

burning leaves  -

the sudden spark

of a robin

Yule Een  -

abuin the kirk

a muin hamecomin

Christmas Eve  -

above the church

a moon being born

deep i the Zendo  -

ootbye

turtles plash an daff

intense in the Zendo  -

outside

turtles splash and play

the gaberlunzie chiel

an the siller birk  -

baith in cloots

the tramp

and the silver birch  -

both in rags

hallae e'en  -

hou treen hunker

i the gloamin

halloween  -

how the trees crouch

in the dusk

Yule ingle  -

poinsettia

an lowpin lowes

Christmas hearth  -

poinsettia

and leaping flames

anither blatter

stickit i the lum  

aw nicht

another storm

stuck in the chimney

all night

days o weet  

the roseir baiten

...bluid-colourt dubs

days of rain  

the rosebush beaten

...blood-coloured puddles

efter the weet

the nakit maple

...pairly keeng

after the rain

the leafless maple

...pearly king

auld baxter

oot fir a smoke  -

fite fuitprents roond the door

old baker

out for a smoke  -

white footprints round the door

we delicht i the sin-ryse,

nurse an me

...bluid sclims  the tube

we delight in the sunrise,

nurse and I

...blood climbs  the tube

zen learner

scooryin alang

...her primpit new robe

zen novice

racing along

...her stiff new robe

 Yule hansel?  -

ootleevin anither pair

o shuin's eneuch

Christmas gift?  -

outliving another pair

of shoes is enough

a tap dreeps  -

yatterin on

it the bodach

a tap drips  -

nagging on

at the old man

i the burd bath

ice moutenin

...hame-cumin tae''ts maker

in the bird bath

ice melting

...returning to its maker

the auld tod follaes the sin  

on'ts vaige

athort the gairden

the old fox follows the sun  

on its journey

across the garden

a blackie chirms

frae a cage

o nakit brainches

a blackbird sings

from a cage

of bare branches

anither burthday  -

freest hus the dykes

fite-heidit an aw

another birthday  -

frost has the hedges

white-headed as well

 i the perk

burds owerturn fa' n leaves  -

drouthies gove ruefully 

in the park

birds turn over fallen leaves  -

winos gaze ruefully

 weir cairn  -

stanes  thit wur glaur yince

beirin thair nems

war memorial  -

stones that were mud once

bearing their names

the muin keeks roon the lum  -

the bodach

less lanely nou

the moon peeps round the chimney  -

the old man

less lonely nou

i the kirk gairden

the thrum

o the rosary

in the church garden

the hum

of the rosary

daw  -  yonder

streetchin weengs semyphore:

swans

dawn  -  in the distance

stretching wings semaphore:

swans

forenent the ferris wheel

hameless tents  

its sheddae rowes ower thaim

opposite the ferris wheel

homeless tents  

its shadow rolls over them

twa doos

it houghmagandie  -

mair lik a fecht

two pigeons

mating  -

more like a fight

 hairst  -

abuin the burn

midgies' hinmaist daunce

autumn  -

above the stream

midges' last dance

the auld gairdner

skews's neb tae the sin  -

the gowans an aw

the old gardener 

turns his face to the sun  -

the daisies too

 fou muin

throuch leafless brainches

...jeegsaw 

full moon

through leafless branches

...jigsaw 

 i the stoor

on the cairriage winnock:

I ❤  U

in the dust

on the carriage window:

I ❤ U

thair's a new goad in toon  -

Diwali rackets

lichten the lift

there's a new God in town  -

Diwali fiireworks

lighten the sky

efter the haar

the maple's

lacquered leaves

after the mist

the maple's

lacquered leaves

mornin haar  -

attercaps' hidlins

gien up

morning mist  -

spiders' secrets

exposed

sin

throuch the rodden tree

...plainstanes airtist

sun

through the rowan tree

...pavement artist

 his neb i the stoor  -

the wino's tint 

...agane

his nose in the dust  -

the wino has lost

...again

 schuil hoalidays  -

contrails lozent

on a blae lift

school holidays   -

contrails criss-crossed

on a blue sky

hern goves doon

it a stainit-gless winnock

...sunken leaves

heron gazes down

at a stained-glass window

...sunken leaves

throuch the haar  -

the soond

o the fish--van's horn

through the mist  -

the sound

of the fish-van's horn

hairst's maple  -

reid leaf-wreaths

autumns' maple  -

red leafdrifts

hairst  -

i the blowster

petals or butteries?

autumn  -

in the gale

petals or butterflies?

a lang--deid rottan  -

its skellet

aye gurlin

a long-dead rat  -

its skeleton

still snarling

leaves faw on the burn  -

settin aff

the hairst mosaic

leaves fall on the stream  -

setting off

the autumnal mosaic

hairst  -

yin butterie an yin bummer

aw day

autumn  -

one butterfly and one bee

all day

efter the waddin

danderin throuch the cloister  

...the creckin o rice

after the wedding

walking through the cloister  

...the cracking of rice

care hame  -

hapt i thair blankets

bidin fir the cluds tae sinder

care home  -

wrapped in their blankets

waiting for the clouds to part

 bawdrons dovers  -

the priest snokes fir a moose

i the scullery

cat sleeps  -

the priest hunts for a mouse

in the kitchen

bombed oot kirk  -

bell-towes swee

seelently

bombed out church  -

bell-ropes sway

silently

piazza barbecue  -

bairns' gutties brundin

...glentin sterns

piazza barbecue  -

childrens' trainers sparking

...twinkling stars

throuch the labyrinthine 

weys o ma mynd  -

butterie

through the labyrinthine

ways of my mind  -

butterfly

 recital  - she flotters in,

he pechs an humphs her herp

...roadie angel

recital  -  she floats in,

he pants an luggs the harp

...roadie angel

granfaither stotters

towarts his granbairn  -

whae stotters towarts him

granfather staggers

towards his grandchild  -

who staggers towards him

cherity poke brust apen  -

ghaistly sarks

hing frae brainches

charity bag burst open  -

ghostly shirts

hang from branches

agin a derk lift

a flocht o maws

...suddent lichtnin

against a dark sky

a flock of gulls

...sudden  lightning

the hippy lassie

aneath the rodden tree

her bricht reid beads

the hippy girl

beneath the rowan tree

her bright red beads

the butterie

stotters alang the peth  -

hou auld is he?

the butterfly

staggers along the path  -

how old is he?

it the fush-cadger's van

neebours blether  -

fush'r apen-mou'd

at the fishman's van

neighbours gossip  -

fish are open-mouthed

sootherin  -

inby an umberellae

hearkenin tae the weet

comforting  -

inside an umbrella

listening to the rain

 ...juist as the bass solos

speuggie leaves

a spirlie brainch dirlin

...just as the bass solos

sparrow leaves

a thin branch vibrating

ettlin tae richt his stotter

the bodach

danders alang a sunbeam

trying to right his stagger

the old man

walks along a sunbeam

cailleach

it her winnock

smirkin it the weet

old lady

at her window

smiling at the rain

troot lowp

cleekit

on instinct

trout leap

hooked

on instinct

craw aipples faw

rowe aw airts

...snookered fir jeely

crab apples fall

roll in all directions

...snookered for jelly

drouth  -

deuks stummle

ower a clinty claddach 

drought  -

ducks stumble

over a rocky riverbed

 the cailleach

feart o'r neebours

...wesps' byke

the old lady

afraid of her neighbours

...wasps' byke

rin -doon pairt o toon  -

e'en the rodden berries

ur stoorie

run-down part of town  -

even the rowan berries

are dusty

unner the gizzent leaves

the butterie hunkers 

in a tuim burd bath

under the shrivelled leaves

the butterfly sits

in an empty bird bath

haitwave  -

the bodach an the flooers

wultin

heatwave  -

the old man and the flowers

wilting

this year

the flooers stound

fir a bummer's pree

this year

the flowers ache

for a bee's kiss

craw hunkers wi me  -

a fusper tae'm

whiles he nid-nods

crow sits with me  -

I whisper to him

sometimes he nods

Gaza  - whaur the warl 

daffs it jack straws

wi bairns' banes

Gaza  -  where the world

plays Jack straws

with chldrens' bones

blithe rackets  -

the bodach dwams o hame

...whaur bombs faw

festive fireworks  -

the old man dreams of home

,..where bombs fall

hunkert

on her ain wee warl  

...butterie an aipple

sitting 

on her own little world

...butterfly and apple

tree sneddin  -

fundin a 'Pace hunt'

the bairns misst...deleecious!

tree trimming  -

finding an 'Easter hunt'

the children missed...delicious!

hou tyme hauds by  -

the thrissels

ur fite heidit

how time passes by  -

the thistles

are white headed

fooneral Mass  -

sumyin sumwhaur 

sneds girss

funeral Mass  -

someone somewhere 

cuts grass

bleckie

in an oot o the buss

...fume o jasmine

blackbird

in and out of the bush

...perfume of jasmine

wunnerfou burdsang  -

file the kailwirm

plays the box

wonderful birdsong  -

while the caterpillar

plays the accordion 

the pace  -

hern's

meditation chaumer

the peace  -

heron's 

meditation retreat

efter the weet

dreeps

...bedside monitor

after the rain

drips

...bedside monitor

tod doverin agane

mid his sipper

...chookie fedders

fox asleep again

midst his supper

...chicken feathers

 duntin nebs

 bummer an me  -

snowkin the buddleia

bumping noses

bee and I  -

smelling the buddleia

frae a mait o nettles

this wunner:

paycock butterie

from a diet of nettles

this wonder:

peacock butterfly

creepin jenny

apen mou'd  -

cabbitch fites flee oot

bindweed

open mouthed  -

cabbage whites fly out

unner a leafy umberellae

a bleckie

croonin i the weet

under a leafy umbrella

a blackbird

singing in the rain

fedders flee up

frae the tod's bourie

...a maw chick whae nivver flew

feathers fly up

from the fox's den

...a gull chick who never flew

he fund his penny fussle  -

anither hidie-hole

airtit oot!

he found his penny whistle  -

another hiding place

discovered!

treen 

heeld an rax oot  -

wund wrocht

tress

lean and reach out  -

wind shaped

In'r winnock

the crippilt wifie waffs  -

maks ma day!

in her window

the handicapped lady waves  -

makes my day!

granfaither scutchin's hedge

snecks the cable

...yin bricht speak!

grandfather trimming his hedge

cuts the cable

...one bright spark!

the confessional

deep i the brae

...they cum oot intae the licht

the confessional

deep in the hillside

...they come out into the light

(Knock shrine)

 i the mornin sin

the tods cum

...oh tae see wull theengs daffin!

in the morning sun

the foxes come

...oh to see wild things playing!

fire-alairm

it the en

o the priest's homily

fire-alarm

at the end

of the priest's homily

i the cloister gairden

the tortie

prees's furst aipple

in the cloister garden

the tortoise

tastes his first apple