Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Summer Haibun

CABIN FEVER

Two weeks of rain. The smell of dampness in our clothes, in the linen closet, in the upholstery. A monotonous beat to the rain.
Dull plops on the roof and higher pitched bleeps on the metal drain pipes and gutters. Trees bent over with the added moisture. One branch of the maple, cracked and hanging by its sap. Garden flowers dragging in the mud. The sour odor of wet and rotting vegetation permeates the air.

nowhere to go–
the damp rooms echo
my restlessness

Contemporary Haibun On-line, October 2007

HEAT WAVE

Murky sky, dead air, pizza oven temperature. Perspiration collects on my skin, pooling in crevices. The day stops even before it begins.

curtains stir–
a small breeze lost
at the window

Bottle Rockets, August, 2008


Friday, July 17, 2009

Summer

SUMMER HAIKU

the farmers' market-
most dirt clings
to salad greens

The Country and Abroad, September 2007

spattering rain...
in the woods ten minutes
and still not wet

Dragonfly, April 1974

sun on my back-
all the flower pots
arranged just so

Heron's Nest, June 2005

Monday, July 6, 2009















on a rock wall
waiting for the tide
to give back the beach

3 Lights Gallery, April 2008
photo by Joseph F. Shaw

Thursday, June 25, 2009

DETANTE

a young deer
moving across the lawn
with an easy gait

Up here in the country the deer are plentiful. They are seen at the edge of woods, along the roads, in meadows and on lawns. Being new to the area I enjoy watching them, but am annoyed that they eat my plants.

I am willing to share my land and live side-by-side. A peaceful co-existence. Theirs and mine. To that end, I give them the wooded ravine behind our house. There they can eat until they are satisfied, mate, have babies, live a good life and die of old age.

deer spray in hand–
the promise of lilies
swaying in the breeze

Contemporary Haibun On-line, October 2007

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

ticking off the miles-
the wipers keep time
through rain and fog

steady rain-
turning the limp pages
of a book
Taj Mahal Review, June 2009

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Summer

too late for fireflies-
on a dark country lane
the walking is slow

the crest of each wave-
a bright shimmer
before the crash

rising tide-
the sea spray swallowed
by fog

rotted tree stump-
assorted weeds
deeply rooted

Taj Mahal Review, June 2009

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Spring

newly green meadow
buttercups
filled with rain

Stylus, July 2007
An Unknown Road, 2008

spring flowers-
one by one a bouquet
forms itself

Shamrock, September 2007
An Unknown Road, 2008

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Tanka

afternoon mending-
a breeze through the window
stirs a reverie;
what guiding spirit led me
to this comfort zone?
Simply Haiku, Feb. 2008


morning bird calls-
I rise with expectation
of your smile
together we plan a day
of no plans
Ribbons, Sept. 2005

Haiku

  weekend getaway coffee on the veranda with a gecko Sense  & Sensibility