the auld clishmaclaver  -
her mools
narrest the squaiky yett




the old gossip  -
her grave
nearest the squeaky gate

the day I glisked
the yalla gowan's ghaist 
afore it sauntit




today I glimpsed
the dandelion's ghost
before it disappeared

i the priest's gairden
Easter robes
o the fite haw-tree




in the priest's garden
Easter robes
of white hawthorn

alang the burnside
Lenten robes
o purpie lilyoak




along the riverside
Lenten robes
of purple lilac

spadesfou o yirth
lowpin frae a bore  -
sang o the hoddit chiel




shovelsfull of earth
leaping from a hole  -
song of the unseen man

his hameless chiel's neb
hauns threipin tae Goad
the towe streetchin tae heiven




his homeless man's face
hands talking to God
the rope stretching to heaven


(St John Ogilivie by Peter  Howson)

fooneral mornin  -
maws wauken me
wi thair greitin




funeral morning  -
gulls waken me
with their keening

amang the gean tree's
tosie petals
bummers rhapsodize




among the cherry tree's
warm petals
bees rhapsodize

sauch primpin in green  -
oot ower the lugs
i the burn's keekin-gless




willow dressing in green  -
absorbed
in the stream's looking-glass

camellia flourishin  -
a hunner craigs
souchin




camellia blossoming  -
a hundred throats
singing

the claggie spreid
o faw'n fegs  -  wesps
deein clean awa wi't




the sticky spread
of fallen figs  -  wasps
dying ecstatically

daffins
gien as a mindin  -
lowe fir days




daffodils
given as a gift  -
glow for days

watterside forsythia:
lichtin
unnerwatter coves




riverside forsythia:
lighting
underwater caverns

buttery
hings abuin ma apen buik
...flutherin pages




butterfly hovers
above my open book
...fluttering pages

ristin efter chemo
he reflecks:
the gairden's sheeny buds




resting after chemo
he ponders:
the garden's shiny buds

the mornin
souchs voar
awthing swalls




the morning
breathes spring
everything swells

raxin owre
the bealin watters
a brainch o bricht gean buds




stretching over
the raging waters
a branch of bright cherry buds

(for japan's sadness)

mornin tirl -
the wino's tuim bottle
girnin




morning breeze -
the wino's empty bottle
moaning

bleck bawdrons
skews tae leuk -
yalla o daffins




black cat
turns to look -
yellow of daffodils

snell merch wund -
aw airts
the green stobs o voar




bitter march wind -
everywhere
the green spikes of spring