aw nicht

the orra maisic

o a chist smit

all night

the surreal music

of a chest infection

abuin ma care bed

lichts athort the ceilin

...cumin an gaein

above my sickbed

lights across the ceiling

...coming and going

furst snaw  -

hairst's musardrie

rubbit oot

first snow  -

autumn's poetry

erased

freesty nicht  -

efter the Yule pairty

glessy-e'ed dubs

frosty night  -

after the Christmas party

glazy-eyed puddles

blawy  -

lang Johns on the waashin rope

...doitit ballet

windy  -

long Johns on the washing line

...crazy ballet

auld tarrybreeks

on's daith-bed  

hearkens tae the maws pewl

old sailor

on his death-bed  

listens to the gulls cry

furst advent caunle

sterts tae daunce  -

sterts THE DAUNCE!

first advent candle

starts to dance  -

starts THE DANCE!

unco peerie squaik  -

maggie's fund

sumhin siller

strange little squeak  -

magpie's found

something silver

 trainspottin  -

myndin the auld puffers

...freesty braith

trainspotting  -

remembering the old puffers

...frosty breath

geelt hameless  -

reid straiks o a pastel lift

i thair een

frozen homeless  -

red streaks of a pastel sky

in their eyes

hern's fuitprents

amang the saugh leaves

...stobbie calligraphy

heron's footprints

among the willow leaves

...spiky calligraphy

wa-gang agane  -

eemigrant laddie

nirlin i the weet

leaving again  -

emigrant son

shrinking in the rain

 i the winnock  -

fou muin, attercap,

an the threids am claucht in

in the windoow  -

full moon, spider,

and the threads I'm caught in

doacter's appintment  -

it his winnock skwurrel

hunkers creckin a nit

doctor's appointment  -

at his window squirrel

sits cracking a nut

mawin the girss  -

the creck

o cracker nits

mowing the grass  -

the crack

of hazelnuts

burds cheeplin

wund i the treen  -  an me:

God's HI-FI seestem

birds chirping

wind in the trees  -  and me:

God's HI-FI system

saw neb dookin

gaein unner   -  syne 

scartin whaur a lug micht be

goosander bathing

going under  -   then

scratching where an ear might be

leukin lik the hinmaist leaf

on a nakit acer

...Reid Rab

looking like the last leaf 

on a naked acer

...a robin

auld tarry-breeks  -

his twa powls

the swallin causey

the old sailor  -

his two walking sticks

the swelling pavement

efter the weet  -

speuggie lans on a brainch

brings doon anither shour

after the rain  -

sparrow lands on a branch

brings down another shower