Photos-Poems-Haiku

Now available! ‘A Beatin Hert’: our book of poems and photos covering beautiful Dumfries and Galloway. Fantastic photos (colour and b/w), by Derek Ross, great poems by Donald Adamson, Douglas Lipton and myself, first-class design by Ken Smyth, and quality editing by Donald Adamson. £16 to UK inc. postage. Enquire for copy.

The Shore RoadThe sea is laughing,Waves are chuckling Through the stony beach,There is salt in the air,And we are walking Along the Shore Road.Between the neat houses,We glimpse the Firth,There are no nets drying,No upturned boats waiting,And we are walking Along the Shore Road.We are joined by others,Each of us imagining,A gull lands on a… Continue reading The Shore Road

Castledykes.It’s foggy in Castledykes,trees are splitting the light,frost covers everything,the air is frozen still.The world is alight, they say,but not here, not now,this is a pause, a respite,a quiet place to pass through.The path is a black scar.Down in the castle moat,beech leaves are aflame,fog curls like smoke.Derek Ross

A wee glimpse of sun and a wee poem of spring and hope appears… Trees I’m dreaming of trees, spring trees, when the wait Is over and colour drips from the branches. When shadows hide at midday and shade is a precious thing, worth the finding. Derek Ross

Auld HooseThirs a different lifebidin in this auld hoose,green, growin, craalin whar the roof yince wis.It reaches fir the windaes,whar nae gless remains,it’s opening the door,hingin oan its hinges.Ye can sense it,yon relentless chainge,a craa spreads its wings,The hale wirld shivers.Derek Ross

The Snow The snow cameand the worldbecame deeper.The very airstilled, the coldwrapped itselfaround everything.Figures shuffledbeneath their breath,left faint tracesalong the way.Above it all,a flickering sun,bided it’s time. Derek Ross

Back Lanes of BruggeWe are strolling alongThese narrow back lanes,There are no crowds here,No open topped buses,No horse and carriage,No neat waving waiters,Beckoning us to enterTheir canopied cafes.Here, there are only echoesOf feet on cobbled streets,And the marks of past timesEtched on rough stone walls.So much has passed downThese hidden roads,We notice the traces,Because we… Continue reading Back Lanes of Brugge

I recently discovered a method for painting abstract trees 😱. Three so far ( the last one is 40” wide). Quite pleased with them to be honest. Other folks seem to like them too, they’ve gone to new homes. It’s always nice when others like what you do.

The Music TeacherHe recorded every catchand crackle of our voices,listened as they broke on their way from doh to doh,and he would mark us downin his little blue book.I still see him smiling.as he caught the momentour young tongues left usin a last, defiant, croak.We sat down knowingsomething had changed.We had joined the broken,our place… Continue reading The Music Teacher

A Moment The trees are leaning,as if holding upthe weight of the sky.Branches are creakingas they take the strain.Roots break the earth,like distended veinsfull of the world’s blood.The wind is breath,as deep as this moment.Derek Ross