The Art of Haiku
| DESERT SHOOTS | |
|
slow stepping onward a horse grazes desert shoots pianissimo |
|
|
noticing how green it is — rain on the way to Tempe |
|
|
late afternoon a pinch of cilantro on the tofu |
|
|
rectangles of the goat's eyes and his simple, worthy smell |
|
|
alone in a new bed from this great height all three Tori in view |
|
|
stopped in traffic — looking up at a double rainbow |
|
|
under that full moon last night bamboo clicking clicking — the same war |
|
|
ultimate video game — Clausewitzian "shock and awe" |
|
|
a new hat — another panhandler asks me for change |
|
|
sitting on the plum-branch two sparrows watching me write |
|
|
paper cup for coins a grey-haired beggar-woman blessings, thanks and shame |
|
|
late winter cold a spider on every wall |
|
|
our adopted cat, near-feral, a hunter, curls on a soft pillow |
|
|
a Topanga Canyon bee hive there since 1969 |
|
|
almost spring — a line of ants coming out of the cracked molding |
|
|
the cruelty of April turns into "poetry month" |
|
|
and the women come and go — that still pond plum flowers floating |
|
|
a day of looking at paintings — the light inside |
|
|
in a lover's shower long kisses absentminded ah, spring rain |
|
|
plants stolen from our front porch thieves, too, awaken to beauty |
|
|
the clouds have taken it away — the moon in the window |
|
|
giving in to the pressure willow in the wind |
|
|
green leaves, no tulips: the bulbs, telling us something — more fertilizer! |
|
|
a man in the window dunking cookies in his tea |
|
|
bird pecks its image not seeing affable me calm behind the glass |
|
|
our room empty just three mats and tea |
|
|
with a swatter stalking two big flies through the house |
|
|
kindergarten haiku-class talk 10-minutes, then — dancing! |
|
|
naked in a big bed pretending we are snowed in our bodies slowly touching |
|
|
still not knowing who I am just walking along |
|
|
even from her hospital bed facing the grave she elbows her daughter |
|
|
whacky songs for the children — one asks, "How did you DO that?" |
|
|
early morning someone laughing outside my window |
|
|
as the fog dissipates finally taking off my suit |
|
|
little mermaid says "Am I in this spring fable to tease or to gleam?" |
|
|
under the park trees children reading Harry Potter |
|
| BARRY SPACKS, LAWRENCE LEONE and KIM HODGES | |