the bairn swithers
atween the skwurrel
an the throu-gaun train




the toddler
caught between the squirrel
and the passing train

hame frae the ferrier
dour-nebbit
cairryin a wechtie seck




home from the vet
grim-faced
carrying a heavy sack

in the baurber's keekin gless
set o ma faither's powe
aneath thinnin herr




in the barber's looking glass
shape of my father's skull
beneath thinning hair

the burthday balloon
fankilt i the gairden
ilka day mair runkilt




the birthday balloon
trapped in the garden
more wrinkled each day

doverin on a bink
her herr plashes
muinlit




asleep on a bench
her hair cascades
moonlit

amang the trees' green
straiks o yalla
...mair nor yestreen




amongst the trees' green
streaks of yellow
...more than yesterday

hairst mornin -
stame sweils up
frae the gean




autumn morning -
steam rises
from the cherry tree

a bodie's cairpet
happin the claddach
pattren still vieve




somebody's carpet
covering the riverbed
design still vivid

roukie day
on the riggin-heid
humphie-backit doos




damp day
on the roof-ridge
hunchbacked pigeons

smirr
a simmer's wirth o wabs
staun oot




drizzle
a summer's worth of webs
exposed

throuch the leaf's striffin
a singul seed
fleitin doon the watter




through the leaf's membrane
a single seed
floating downstream

wesp dowps doon
amang the haiku
turns tae yin




wasp sits down
amongst the haiku
becomes one

knell o the jogger
corsin the steel brig
deuks sperfle




boom of the jogger
crossing the steel bridge
ducks scatter

sha hauds the bairn
up tae the madonna
flooers daunce i the weet




she holds the child
up to the madonna
flowers dance in the rain

furst sabbath o hairst -
incaains fir the seek
stert tae growe




first sunday of autumn -
prayers for the sick
start to grow

a slaw day o weet
a bairge hauds by
...strenth tae waff




a slow day of rain
a barge passes
...strength to wave

the auld brig
whaur luvers pree'd:
its saft stane, concrete nou




the old bridge
where lovers kissed:
its soft stone, concrete now

eller-berries
rife fir pouin -
a rantin wunter




elder-berries
ready for picking -
a merry winter

rugby saison -
broo agin the lozen
tentie o the weet




rugby season -
forehead against the pane
watching the rain

the-day
a rairin frae the
quate treen o simmer




today
a roaring from the
silent trees of summer