daffins

the furst year set aff lang syne

...thair sheenin nebs

daffodils

the first year planted long ago

,,,their shining faces

hern an me  -

craigs beeried, humphy-backit

i the snell wund

heron and I  -

necks buried, humpbacked

in the cold wind

rowein thunner

an streengs o weet

...a caumin sitar

rolling thunder

and strings of rain

...a calming  sitar

throuch Mass

a  trappit bummer drones

...dree

through Mass

a trapped bee drones

...panic

causey thiggers  -

abuin thair heids

burds trauchle nest biggin

street beggars  -

above their heads

birds labour nest building

freenly neebour  -

her daffins

heald intae ma gairden

friendly neighbour  -

her daffodils

lean into my garden

on the  peth a riven weeng  -

bluid on the pen  

fir an ugsome sonnet

on the path a torn-out wing  -

blood on the quill  

for a gory story

voar  -  the burn's tuin

hus the bodach jiggin

...in's heid!

spring  -  the stream's tune

has the old man dancing

...in his head!

waashin day  -

i the winnock

cumuli an freith

washing day  -

in the window

cumuli and suds

bowsterous wund  

treen threshin  -

skeery i the craw's nest

fierce wind

trees thrashing  -

scary in the crow's nest

scutchin the hedge

he reflecks

on the lenth o's baird

trimming the hedge

he reflects

on the length of his beard

the gairden's furst bummer  -

its slaw daunce

the gawpin flooer

the garden's first bee   -

its slow dance

the gaping flower

maggie tummles

doon throuch nakit brainches  -

ma penny arcade

magpie tumbles

down through naked branches  -

my penny arcade

the thowin burn  -

the lipper o voar

a' whaur

the thawing stream  -

the ripple of spring

everywhere

fir aw oor weirs

thae buds haud forrit

frae an airt whaur life's unsteert

for all our wars

these buds spring forth

from a place where life is untouched

 voar's caller souch  -

lowsenin the eeshogels

lowsenin the banes

springs fresh breeze  -

loosening the icicles

loosening the boness

daffins  -

thair seelent skirl

o joy

daffodils  -

their silent scream

of joy

kneelin it the altar rail

...gorblins

streenin tae be meetit

kneeling at the altar rail

...nestlings

straining to be fed

 the windae cleaner's

left wattergaws hingin

awwhaur

the window cleaner

has left rainbows hanging

everywhere

sumhin sheens 

unner the ice  -

craw's pickaix neb navvyin

something shines

under the ice  -

crow's pickaxe beak navvying

 It the schuil yetts

the bodach draps a tear

fir the days o mak-on

at the school gates

the old man sheds a tear

for the days of make-believe

coorse wedder  -

days o lowpin lowes

an lood snocherin

rough weather  -

days of leaping flames

and loud snoring

i the gairden's derk neuk

licht gaithers

...snawdraps

in the garden's dark corner

light gathers

...snowdrops

aw edges

an splairges o pent  -

efter the clippin

all edges

and splashes of paint  -

after the shearing

the auld pub

dung doun  -

they staun thair, mous fou o stoor

the old pub

demolished  -

they stand there, mouths full of dust

wund throuch the gairden  -

 coo-bells a wund-chimes...

a  kin o jazz

wind through the garden  -

cow-bells and wind-chimes...

a kind of jazz

snaw muin

spreidin

on the braes

snow moon

spreading

on the hills

 record shop shewn-up

...anely a bleckie

chirmin on a nearhaun tree

record shop shut-down

...only a blackbird

singing on a nearby tree

dug an me

tak wi  ilk ither

...his slavery tung

dog and I

greet each other

...his slobbery tongue

wund throuch the shaw

booin, thrawin

...bonsai maister

wind through the grove

bending, twisting

...bonsai master

efter the drouth  -

the gairden

sterts tae queever

after the drought  -

the garden

starts to quiver

plooin  -

hou the yirth hoves an spreids

rank fir the seed

plowing  -

how the earth rises and spreads

ready for the seed

she hings ower the watter

learnin the bairn

hou tae bliss himsel

she hovers over the water

teaching the child

how to bless himself

haggin treen  -

Reid Rab hunkers takkin tent

...woundit

felling trees  -

a robin sits watching

,,,wounded

blue  bonnet  -

in an oot in an oot

...hamemaker

blue tit  -

in and out in and out

...homemaker

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