Haiga

A Hundred Gourds

Haiku

fire-red lilies

a radiating heat

at sunset

between

the swelling sound of crickets

pressing heat

a misty beach walk

following the footprints

of gulls

Living Haiku Anthology

HSA Anthology 2002

Ambrosia

Haiga

publish in Cattails



Tanka Prose

 BETWEEN THE BRICKS    

 

Poor inchworm. Back and forth across the tabletop. Down a table leg.  Halfway, it turns and climbs up again. Crosses the top once more to another leg.

                                                    there was a time

                                                    when I had to choose

                                                    love or adventure

                                                           was it luck or wisdom

                                                           that my choice gave me both?

The little worm takes a leap with its invisible thread, nearly reaching the bottom. Continues on, finally reaching the ground, crawls away. I lose sight of it when it disappears in a crack.

                                                   bird calls and wind

                                                   the shuffling of leaves 

                                                   the shuffling of time

                                                           what I did and did not do

                                                            and where I’ll be tomorrow  

Haibun Today, Tanka Prose,

March 2017

Tanka

setting out plants

I take a chance this year

with something untried–

at my age even this

is an adventure

 

peonies bloom again

after trying to kill them

in ignorance;

what else have I lost

because of my not knowing?

Presence, autumn 2016

Ribbons, spring 2017

Haiku

                                                spring showers

                                                I peel a red onion

                                                in running water

                                                footprints on the floor

                                                beginning the mud season

                                                with a new mop

                                                 a perfumed breeze

                                                 shaking loose the moisture

                                                 from peonies

Presence

Under the Basho

Modern Haiku

Haibun

                                                      THE DINNER PARTY      

1. Getting Ready

 Mrs. Fraser is getting ready for dinner. A party of twelve. Very special (as always), designed to impress Mr. Fraser's colleagues and their wives.

 A black velvet dress clings to her slim figure. Diamond earrings and necklace.  Silver hair, coiffed in an up-do only her hairdresser can accomplish. She's almost ready.

From a dresser drawer, hidden in her silk lingerie, Mrs. Fraser takes out a silver flask and swallows long and slowly.  The liquid fires up her throat and her nerve.

                                                        a lone walker–

                                                        the night blooming jasmine

                                                        cast in shadow

 2. The Dinner

 Crystal glasses, English china, Belgian lace. A table set for royalty. Mrs. Fraser longingly gazes out the window. A summer night cries out for a barbeque, not caviar and squab; beer not Verve Clicquot.

 On her right is Mrs. Henry.

 Your grandson?  Precocious is he? Toilet trained in one week you say? Remarkable! Did you notify The Times?  Yes, I'm joking. Of course I'm joking.

 On her left is Judson Parker. She kicks his creeping foot away from hers.

 Yes, I agree. Desperate hunger in the world. Should all do our part.  I'll start now and pack up this dinner for the Homeless Mission downtown. What's that you say? A joke, yes. Just a joke.

                                                           bouquet of roses  
                                                           silky petals

                                                           fall with a touch

 3. Saying Good-bye

 Goodnight. Goodnight. Thank you. Lovely to see you.  Next week at the Henderson's? Can't wait to see their infinity pool. A restful view, I'm sure. Perhaps, I'll jump in and disappear into infinity. Yes. Yes. Another joke.

                                                             night voices

                                                             rumbles of thunder

                                                             before the deluge

 4. Lights Out

 Midnight. The house locked down. One more successful dinner. One more gold star. 

 Mrs. Fraser takes out the flask again and places a bottle of pills next to it.  She lines up the pills on her dresser. With slow deliberation her hand moves from pill to mouth to flask, from pill to mouth to flask, from pill to mouth to flask.

                                                           storm brewing

                                                           an owl's call

                                                           thrown to the wind

Modern Haiku, Oct. 2016