ne'erday
spyog-prents athort the snaw -
towmond o the teeger




new year's day
paw-prints across the snow -
year of the tiger

poinsettia
in the ingle agane
bricht lowes




poinsettia
in the hearth again
bright flames

(Mainichi Daily News)

advent caunle:
gied itsel
tae enlichten




advent candle:
gave itself
to enlighten

craws an maws
a skirlin bourach - gin
aw that's left's a maggie




crows and gulls
a screaming melee - until
all that's left's a magpie

athort the perk
a rowed up snawbaw's derk peth
...fou muin




across the field
a rolled up snowball's dark path
...full moon

wrocht frae tides
oor snawman -
the fou muin hus'm heeldin




made from oceans
our snowman -
the full moon has him leaning

perishin kirk -
frae the meenister's mou
ghaists o Yules bygane




freezing church -
from the minister's mouth
ghosts of Christmasses past

wunter waddin -
bride-fite perks,
a bob o hollin berries




winter wedding -
bride-white fields,
a posy of holly berries

bleckie -
frae burd-bath tae burd-bath
fundin anerly snaw




blackbird -
from bird-bath to bird-bath
finding only snow

snawman -
fir craw a mindin:
carrot een




snowman -
for crow a gift:
carrot eyes

bath-watter gurlin
doon the jaw-hole -
the hoose less lanely




bath-water gurgling
down the plug-hole -
the house less lonely

furst onfaw
... seelant
swan




first snowfall
... silent
swan

hoaspice veesitin oor -
agane,
the wappin beds




hospice visiting hour -
again,
the enormous beds

saicont snaw shour -
fouin a jeegsaw's
amissin pairts




second snow shower -
filling a jigsaw's
missing pieces

blinterin lunt -
hure: her neb a
mamentary brichtness




flickering match -
prostitute: her face a
momentary brightness

oot frae jeelin rouk:
a chiel
makkin rouk




out from freezing fog:
a man
making fog

spate quallt -
i the glaur a deid tod
his bunt yin gentie straik




flood abated -
in the mud a dead fox
his tail one elegant stroke

Yule lichts -
on the gean tree
jeelt sparks




Christmas lights -
on the cherry tree
frozen raindrops

furst tae wauken:
liggin hearkenin
tae'r drame




first to waken:
lying listening
to her dream

speirins o a daith -
the nicht the muin an e
baith i thair founess




news of a death -
tonight the moon and he
both in their fullness