a fitbaw...
an sodgers an bairns
are yin




a football...
and soldiers and children
are one

snell -
maggies'
chitterin claiver




bitter cold -
magpies'
chittering chatter

in a cage
o scabbit brainches
a tweedlin burd




in a cage
of leafless branches
a singing bird


(holocaust day)

voar bulbs
boo tae the licht
...bleckies tae




spring bulbs
bend to the light
...blackbirds too

on the strand
daw-pentit
chuckies




on the shore
dawn-painted
pebbles

a murther
craws
gaitherin




a murder
crows
gathering

radgie
saw nebs
...hern leuks conflummixt




randy
goosanders
...heron looks shocked

circus saison -
reid rab
peerie lowe-chower




circus season -
the robin
little fire-eater

hungert bairn
liggs in'r lap
...derk concerteeny




starving child
lies in her lap
...dark concertina

hern an me -
oor harns
collin ilk ither




heron and I -
our brains
shaping each other

midden stramash -
maws, fite spatrils
craws, bleck




rubbish-tip cacophony -
gulls, white notes
crows, black

nuns gairdnin -
flooers
drookit in lauchter




nuns gardening -
flowers
drenched in laughter

anither towmond -
weir skaiths
aye dreepin




a new year -
war wounds
still dripping

in a bombed kirk
a bairn
...skailt chalice




in a bombed church
a child
...spilt chalice

TROKE DAY -
an airlie bang up
fir the hameless chiel




SALES DAY -
an early rise
for the homeless man

burn in spate -
deuks jookin
aneath the brig




flooded stream -
ducks ducking
beneath the bridge

yule carols
droont oot:
ferris wheelers' skirls




Christmas carols
drowned out:
ferris wheelers' screams

Yule EEN -
the hostel
fou o yin-time santas




Christmas Eve -
the hostel
full of one-time santas

fou muin -
skeetchers sloom
in tranquility




full moon -
skaters glide
in tranquility

nippie hailstanes -
the guitarist's
blae fingers




stinging hailstones -
the guitarist's
blue fingers