The Night before Christmas

Christmas Eve

a couple of guys smoking

outside a singles bar

I hope that all of you make all the right connections--with family, friends, and, where appropriate, with interesting strangers (possibly even in singles bars)--over the holidays and into the new year. See you on or about January 2.

years

the years . . .

she answers my question

before I ask it

[This is a revised version of one I posted at Angelika's blog in response to one of hers.]

snowy

This was originally posted at gautami's blog, in response to a poem of hers.

snowy day

hugging the clothes

out of the dryer

nominee

This haiku, first published in the premiere issue of Magnapoets, January 2008, and posted here in February 2008, has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize.

snow in the city

nobody home

in the cardboard box

diary #3

my old diary

the name is familiar

but . . .

[This completes the "old diary" series, three poems submitted to the Sketchbook kukai for November. This one finished out of the money, but I confess to a certain fondness for it; you know what they say about one's ugly children.]

diary #2

old diary

the thoughts I tried

to cross out

[Third place, Sketchbook kukai, November 2008]

diary

new year

my old diary full

of empty pages

[First place, Sketchbook Kukai, November 2008; assigned topic: old diary]

turning

turning cold

an old man asks

what day it is

[Shiki Kukai, November 2008]