From tributes to Robert Burns and Scots vernacular broadsides to Zen awakenings, personal reflections, and razor-sharp social satire.
A Tribute to Scotland’s National Bard and the Spirit of Honest Verse
An affectionate toast to Rabbie Burns, Jean Armour, and the enduring human heart of Scottish poetics.
On the Weight of Life’s Yoke, the Creative Spark, and the Demands of Art
The painter's dedication to depicting the pain of ordinary folk, working from dusk till dawn.
The Art of Conversational Caution, Scotch Restraint, and the Eloquence of Silence
Reflections on tea, cakes, drink, and the virtue of holding one's tongue: 'The less you speak, the more you say.'
A Trenchant Admonition Against Compulsory Sympathy and Idle Whining
Why secondhand complaints are poison: 'The moral of this little po-em is DON’T TELL ME but go straight to ‘em.'
An Awakening Invocation of Milarepa and the Cleansing of the Doors of Perception
Calling on the warrior spirit that defeats delusion, ignorance, and aggression through ancient wisdom.
On Thick Dark Fogs, Shoebox Housing Schemes, and the Absence of Social Justice
A sharp critique of urban planning, poverty, and how society discards those without wealth.
A Candid Confession of Early Trauma, Lingering Shadows, and New Beginnings
Looking back on a youth born in the mist and moving past brutality to restart life anew.
Within the Walls of Memory: Walking Out of Frozen Rain into Personal Freedom
Reflecting on how the words on paper strive to communicate lived pain and melt the past away.
An Ischian Travel Anecdote of Naples Skies, Aloe Vera, and Ungovernable Gulls
A delightful comedic ode to Lizzie, an untimely seagull in Napoli, and the virtue of long sleeves.
The Trillion-Charge Arraignment of Lucifer at the Old Bailey Supreme High Court
A courtroom satire exploring the jurisdictional absurdity of mortal judges attempting to sentence the Prince of Darkness.
The Self-Speaking Tao of Verse and the Humility of the Pen
A timeless 7-line aphoristic poem on the true nature of poetic inspiration.
Celebrating Fifty Years of Wedded Bliss (Golden Anniversary)
A joyful rhyming tribute from Edinburgh to a loving couple celebrating a half-century together.
A Socratic Interrogation of Global Interdependence and Everyday Hypocrisy
Auditing the clothes, tea, cars, and culture of a racist to expose the absurd contradiction of prejudice.
On Smug Deceptions, Words Like Rain, and the Fundamental Law of Non-Ownership
Meditations on impermanence: 'Nothing we say changes night into day... No one owns anything, think it over.'
Masks across the Room and the Vulnerability of Being Real
A searching poetic inquiry into emotional honesty, expectations, and whether love is real.
Grey Monoliths, Blindfold Momentum, and the Architecture of the Cage
Critiquing the hurried artificiality of urban life, moving from womb to tomb in shoebox flats.
Three Words That Shook Cynicism and Opened the Weeping Heart
Moving from intellectual detachment to profound emotional opening upon realizing that love, peace, and truth really mean business.
Police, Education, Morals, Values: Dismantling the Shambles of Coercion
Auditing the mechanisms of social discipline and affirming that people can only be human when they know how to love.
Seeking Truth Beyond History's Catalogue of Despair, Without Labels or Names
A profound meditation on the catalog of suffering and the longing to see the world with innocent, unconditioned eyes.
On the Souls of Animals, Military Futility, and Brother Death as a Friend
Challenging institutional arrogance regarding animal souls, warfare, and the true meaning of mortality.
The Impulse to Be: Samsara, Craving, and the Cycles of Form
Contemplating the relentless cycle of biological and psychological reincarnation, craving, and needless suffering.
Canal Diggers from Mars Arrive for Jobcentres Under Mrs T
A brilliant satirical fantasy where Martian laborers arrive in Commons to be assigned to MARTWORKS and HOUSEMARTS.
The Bleeding Heart, the Falling Tears, and Universal Compassion
A pure, rhythmic chant on suffering as the shared ground of compassion and mutual salvation.
The Mirror’s Reply to the Wicked Queen: Ageing, Youth, and True Inner Grace
The mirror answers back: beauty fades, the Bird of Youth flies away, and inner truth is all that lasts.
Switching Off to the World: Silence, Dark, and Inner Self-Reliance
Closing eyes, ears, and mouth to the noisy world to dwell in the vast quiet reality within.
A Big Pad, a Volvo, Brie in Corfu, and Waiting on the Pools
A hilarious romp through working-class aspirations of consumer luxury and winning the football pools.
Song by Raw Power: Sweating for a Wage in the Yahoo Age
Raw Power's blistering 1991 rock lyric attacking money mania, banking greed, and the wage trap.
Parody in a Pensioner’s Mood: On Water Sell-Offs, Poll Tax, and Tory Rule
A rich Scots broadside railing against water privatization, clearances, and the poll tax in 1989.
In Memory of Alex Salmond (1954–2024) — One of Scotland’s True Sons
A tender Scots vernacular elegy honouring Alex Salmond: a lad o pairts who held quiet faith in his nation and never sought Westminster honours.
Trevor Swistchew's poetry and philosophical inquiries are published in fellowship with The Shady River Bard—exploring a 26-album concept discography, working permaculture, and reflections on human purpose.