Tanka

 trees and more trees

brush against my window

feeling like a bird

seeing what it sees

when out on a limb

Red Lights

Haibun

FEEDING THE MULTITUDES  

 

I feed the residents on my street. Also, the one-time visitor traveling north or south in need of a snack. It was an impulse, born during the height of the pandemic, my need for company, even if at a safe distance separated by a window.  At first, the food stations were untouched. Weeks went by with only one or two inquisitive visitors partaking of the food. Gradually, the news spread and more arrived. The brave and the timid, the bullies who muscled their way to the food and those who waited patiently for an opening. I’ve learned their names and their habits, those who like the fat-laced food and those who prefer the lean and dry.  

 

the day begins

in all weather

with birds

a mutual dependance

they for me and I for them

 

Ribbons spring 2024 

Tanka

                                                              red day lilies

plucking spent blossoms

fingers smeared;

sometimes a good intent

can leave a stain

Haiku sequence

 

                                                                    SAN FERNANDO MISSION

 

                                                            a dusty trail

                                                            of  eucalyptus -

                                                            bells in the distance

 

                                                            a hot wind

                                                            through gray leaves-

                                                            sunlight blinking

 

                                                            doves cry

                                                            behind the white-washed church,

                                                            "You're a fool."

 

                                                            in the dark doorway,

                                                            eyes shut at the white sand-

                                                            a stabbing light

 

                                                            a power saw,

                                                            breaking the three o'clock silence-

                                                            the day moves on

Modern Haiku

Haiku

 cardinal spotting

a formless day begins

to take shape

Chrysanthemum

Haiku

 renewal

my subscription

to spring

Frogpond

Haiku

iced tea on the porch

planning the garden

for next year

Tea Anthology 

Haiga

Failed Haiku

Haiku

 outdoor cafe

the April smile

of a young waitress

Heron's Nest

Haiku

 

April shower

a blossom umbrella

to keep me dry

Presence

Haiku

 

early spring

in my side vision

yellow crocus

HH Newsletter

Haiku

                                                          woodland phlox

                                             wet grass sticking

                                             to my clothes

Gean

Haibun

BACK STORY    

 

missing you

I warm the bed

with a hot brick

          There is a memorial service and I receive your ashes.

          I listen to your troubled breathing until it stops.

          You call me bitch for putting you in a nursing home.

          Your condition is worsening, and you need a wheel chair.

          Cognition is going, your body is weakening, moods are erratic.

          We know something is wrong even before the diagnosis.

 

clocks jump ahead

a date on the calendar

I fail to see

Frogpond 

Tanka

 a dawdling day

with lazy plans to drift

in the quiet

dusk delivers a cool breeze

and a hint of  lilacs

HaikuKatha

Haiku

 sleety rain

the click, click

of knitting needles

HaikuKatha

Haiga

 Haiga:Black & White

Tanka

pushing through the day

small reminders of age

force a slower pace

this season of winter

becomes a quieter time

Presence

Haibun

A New Day            

 

The day is cool, but not uncomfortable. Sunny and cloudless. Trees, brightly dressed in shades of red, orange, yellow. Light breezes send leaves spiraling to the ground. Nothing on my must do list, no doctor’s appointments, no bills to pay, no shopping to do.  

 

                                      meandering

                                      all my senses

                                      out for a walk

  Presence 

Haibun

TAKING STOCK 

 

Something left unsaid 

or incorrectly said.

Some decision made

or not made.

A false start

or no start.

A wrong step.

A mistaken plan.

An impossible dream

 

the longest night

moon glow and polished stars

on the plus side

A Hundred Gourds

Tanka

 flash of bright red

followed by one

of a lesser hue

I start my day with color

in this colorless winter

Art of the Tanka