Johnston's poems are copies of typescript said to have been published in 2000 under the title New joined words, Livingston, West Lothian. There are 53-pages. The works of poetry are dated from 1957, with the poem 'The fish of horror' which was written at Honington, presumably R.A.F. Honington, and tell of a night of over-drinking. There is a poem written in 1966 - 'Good luck boys'. The remainder were written in succeeding decades up to 2001, with the poems 'To the north', 'Guid tae reign for aye!' and 'Symphony for Sydney Ross' being the latest. A few are undated. One of the poems from 2000 is a translation - 'Ken ye the Laun' - from 'Kennst du das Land' by J. W. Goethe.

The poems have been numbered in pencil in the order presented by the donor (W.T.Johnston) in plastic sleeves inside a loose-leaf folder. They are now housed in an acid-free folder but maintaining the order as originally presented.