haiku-usa

A blog devoted mainly to haiku and senryu and to thoughts about, and inspired by, haiku and senryu.

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Location: New York, New York

Haiku is to poetry as espresso is to coffee.

Monday, February 28, 2005

One More from the Berkshires

clouds drifting
divide reunite
a flash of sun

Sunday, February 27, 2005

Back from the Berkshires

I've just returned from a long (Wednesday through Sunday) weekend in the Berkshires. Here are some of the haiku I wrote while I was there.

By the way, if you're wondering "Does he drive his wife crazy?" she says no.
1
morning footprints
cancelled by evening snow
winter's going
2
evergreens on a hill
the sun breaking through
whitens the snow
3
snow last night
sun brushing the tops
of white evergreens
4
snow on the hillside
clouds drifting above the trees
only a head cold
5
evergreens
more green today
sun after snow
6
a clump of snow
explodes on the iron step
sudden wind
7
I never saw it
until winter stripped the trees
the curve of the hill
8
empty rack
in the motel bathroom
weekend's over
9
too much winter
driving south
toward the snow
If nothing else, you have an idea of the weather we've been having in the northeast. On the whole, I consider winter an underrated season, and I try to do my best for it, but, as #9 suggests, even my saintly patience is occasionally tried. What inspired that one is that we cut short our stay by one day to avoid what was described by The Weather Channel as "a major MAJOR storm," headed our way from the south.

Tuesday, February 22, 2005

I'm leaving town for the weekend, and I thought I'd post a few more winter haiku. #1 was written around New Year's Day; #2, on February 1; and #3, today. Each is meant to suggest a different stage of winter. We'll see.
1
points of grass
whisker dimpled snow
time evaporates
2
hoar frost
coats the flattened grass
snow retreats
3
snow on the lawn
a white cat stares
from an open window

Monday, February 21, 2005

revision

Because haiku is a short form, small changes can make big differences. Since Sunday's posting, I've made one small/big change in my haiku on "The Gates."

saffron banners
holding the wind
letting go
In my mind, this is a completely different poem. Any comments?

Sunday, February 20, 2005

Here is the first haiku I ever wrote. Date of composition was 12/30/04. I was seventy-one at the time. When I wrote it, I was comfortably indoors, looking out the window on a very cold winter's day.
whitecaps dancing
spray against the breakwater
winter wind
And here is the most recent. This one was inspired by Christo and Jeanne-Claude's "The Gates," currently on display in Central Park.
saffron banners
holding the wind
letting it go
In keeping with haiku's venerable tradition, most of the haiku I'm writing these days articulate winter moments. Can Spring be far behind?

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