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, January 31, 2011

after: 14

after: 14

first snow
having looked at it
I wash my face

Etsujin 1656-1739

The estimable R. H. Blyth says of this, "This is one of those things that should be left unsaid." In his rendering, the verb in line 2 is "gaze," rather than "look at."

For an explanation of "afters," see the post for Nov. 2, 2010.

Saturday, January 29, 2011

old moon

old moon
another friend
has died

Shiki Kukai, January 2011

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

after : 13

even colder
than the snow – the winter moon
on my white hair

Joso 1661-1704

For an explanation of afters, see the post for Nov. 2, 2010

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

ruffles

January thaw
a breeze ruffles the leaves
of the calendar

Revision of a haiku that appeared at the Caribbean Kigo Kukai, January 2010

Saturday, January 22, 2011

year's end

year's end
clouds carrying off
scraps of moonlight

First published in The Heron's Nest

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

thaw

January thaw
empty storefront
at the mall

First published in Modern Haiku

Saturday, January 15, 2011

after: 12

mountain temple
the sound of a bell
in falling snow

Issa (1763-1827)

For an explanation of "afters," see the post for Nov. 2, 2010.

Friday, January 14, 2011

urban haiku

A selection of urban haiku I've written has been posted at

http://haikutopics.blogspot.com/2011/01/bill-kenney-urban.html

These are the haiku MichaleenFlynn mentions in a comment on "winter." Most of them have previously appeared at this blog.


Wednesday, January 12, 2011

winter

long winter
my wife slows her pace
to mine

First published in The Heron's Nest

Sunday, January 09, 2011

Arizona

CONGRESSWOMAN IS SHOT IN RAMPAGE NEAR TUCSON

Tucson – Representative Gabrielle Giffords, an Arizona Democrat, and 18 others were shot Saturday morning when a gunman opened fire outside a supermarket where Ms. Giffords was meeting with constituents. Six of the victims died . . .

New York Times, page one, Jan. 9, 2011


Arizona
democracy
in the cross hairs


At the website maintained by the political action committee of Sarah Palin, former half-term governor of Alaska, along with the slogan "DON'T RETREAT, RELOAD," one could until recently have found a map that showed selected congressional districts through what appeared to be the cross hairs of a rifle. One of these was the district Gabrielle Giffords represents. (Reportedly, as of the morning of Jan. 9, the map could still be seen at Palin's Facebook page.)

Weaponry was also a theme of the unsuccessful election campaign run by Ms. Giffords' Republican opponent, Jesse Kelly.

According to the Arizona Daily Star:
"Kelly's campaign event website has a stern-looking photo of the former Marine in military garb holding his weapon. It includes the headline: Get on Target f0r Victory in November. Help remove Gabrielle Giffords from office. Shoot a fully automatic M 16 with Jesse Kelly."

The event was scheduled for June 12, 2010. It cost $50

Score one for Jesse and Sarah.


mood

mood ring
what she's not
telling me

Shiki Kukai December 2010

Thursday, January 06, 2011

after: 11

piercing cold
I kiss a plum blossom
in my dream

Soseki 1867-1916

On the significance of plum blossoms in Japanese haiku, see the note to "after: 10."

For an explanation of "afters," see the post for Nov. 2,2010

Tuesday, January 04, 2011

not

not as tall
as I used to be . . .
winter sky

Shiki Kukai, December 2010

Saturday, January 01, 2011

nothing

nothing changes
once again I resolve
to change

.