A Moon Faced Girl

.



















every tree
in every street
the song sparrow's voice


a moon-faced girl
skirts the melting snow


erasing the Welcome
on your door mat,
we wipe our feet




two pints later
and already it's Monday


ants streaming
from the keyboard ...
a live feed


the bullet train
parts an ocean




sneaking Mary Lou
into the suitcase,
her colour almost gone


I keep a fire burning
at the gate


tamping his pipe
otherwise, lost
in the clouds




we settle down to talk
on the kitchen floor


a bell
echoing from the river
a bell


dried lilies
fill a glass of water






Sandra, Willie, Sandra, Eric, Eric, Willie, Sandra, Willie, Eric, Sandra, Sandra, Willie





click on photo to enlarge

.

Deep In The Grove

.




















deep in the grove
where we once danced;
tule fog

a gecko's chirp loud
in an empty house

her Alzheimer's,
names forgotten
as well as our faults


days spent
decoding pebbles

off the trail,
the breeze and wild orchids
play guessing games

tantra pilgrimage,
rumps to the sky


back street boys
linger on the corner;
ba-donk-a-donk!

the fleshy sweetness
of a ripened peach

in the bomb shelter
an old can of
pork and beans


a shiny red bike
clears a path of pigeons

the mute boy,
face turned up in wonder,
now a bright moon

seen but not heard,
a maple leaf's piroeutte



John Merryfield 2, 6, 10, 12
Robin Beshers 1, 5, 8
William Sorlien 3, 7, 11
Eric V. 4, 9


.

A Triparshva Renku: August 24th, 2010

.


















The Tiniest Pebble





an overcast morning
the tiniest pebble
has a voice / john



your words mingle
with the sound of rain / sandra



above the cottage door,
my fingers probing
for a key / linda



the scent of memory
lies in weathered wood / willie



the frozen moon,
a dullish gleam
in grandfather's eye / takke



but for a yearling's breath
stillness holds the dawn / willie


**************************



showing how he ran
for the doorway, the boy
in Batman pyjamas / sandra



above, a redbreast
clings to a pine / linda



engulfed entirely
by the yellow dust
of the pacifists / john



teasingly, a glimpse
of my dragon tattoo /sandra



quick out the back
to the morning train's
clatter and smoke / willie



passing a bottle,
they spoke of their dreams / john



afterwards,
she offers the war hero
another glass of milk / sandra



ink caps sprout in clusters
down the coppice path / linda



up the ladder,
picking the nashi,
picking the moon / sandra



a paper mum
falls from the pages / willie


*************************




astir in its depths,
the lake
at its natural rim / john



each star tonight
a tone from the watch night bell / willie



a candle gutters
as the old monk
dips his quill / linda



young painted ponies
leap from stone walls / john



through the rain,
the cherry blossoms move
just a little / sandra



green tea and bird song
to mark another day / john


Completed October 1st, 2010



John Merryfield
Linda Papanicolao
Sandra Simpson
William Sorlien
Shinjuku Rollingstone (guest)


.

The Oyster Midden - a triparshva renku

.

perched upon
the oyster midden
hopeful seagulls / ec

myriad ripples
on a frozen current / b

rubbernecking
tourists take snapshots
by the gulf stream / gj

a single organism
pervades the forest floor / b

in heated moonlight,
hairpin turns mark the way
to babylon / gj

instinct
the blood in our veins / ec

dried-up rinds
of grapefruit litter
my Monday mornings / gj

paper airplanes
still floating on a dream / ec

darkness so quiet,
only the drip
of melting ice / b

a spindly wallflower
sets my heart abuzz / b

two contortionists
give shape
to the meaning of love / tm

pushing the stroller
footsteps fall in synch / ec

the flight of darts
is all i hear
in couples counseling / gj

lightning clouds change
from the inside out / gj

up all night
the morning glories
duped by a full moon/ ec

a monarch's journey
burdened by early snow / tm

the vortex
gathering all that is
extraordinary / tm

after the rains,
a map drawn in mud / gj

in the end
nothing more than
a roadside altar / ec

bear totem watches
lupine fill the valley/ ec

a single pole
of cherry adorns
the busker's hovel / b

poor old girl
we had to put her down/ ec


completed March 22, 2010


bandit
el coyote
govindajohn
turdus migratorius



Our Triparshva renku, The Oyster Midden, has been accepted for June 2010 publication at Notes From The Gean




.

Degachi

.




A submissions call for hokku for a triparshava renku of 22 verses beginning with Winter. Members, please submit up to three verses. Discussion will follow.

Reader's comments are encouraged and welcome!


Side 1 - jo - preface

hokku -wi
wakiku -wi
daisan -ns
4 short -ns
5 long -sp/su/mn
6 short -sp/ns

Side 2 - ha - development and intensification

7 long -ns
8 short -ns
9 long -ns/sp
10 short -su/sp/lv
11 long -ns/lv
12 short -ns/lv
13 long -ns/lv
14 short -au
15 long -au mn
16 short -au

Side 3 - kyu - finale

17 long -ns
18 short -su
19 long -ns
20 short -sp
21 long -sp/bl
ageku -sp

(from John Carley's Renku Reckoner)

?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????



deep river's ice
the catfish dream
of soaring flight / b

myriad ripples
on the frozen stream
a sudden thaw / b




perched upon
the oyster midden-
two hungry seagulls / ec

picking the sinew
from our teeth-
late winter stew/ ec

northern wind-
a fallen bird's nest
upsets/ unsettles the soul/ ec



charcoal rendering
of the world today
haiti slave ship / gj

hawk on a post
last night's
gargoyle dream / gj

center of the tempest
cold sparrows
in song / gj




whale watching
once again, only the sky
and the sea / rb




.

Click over to Haiku Bandit Society for bandit's solo verses.

Any team members interested in starting another renku, written and agonized over live at this site, please respond in comments.




.

Twilight Stroll

twilight stroll
a pocket full
of rosehips / ec

the leaf strewn path,
my footprints in yours / tm

shadow
of the obelisk
changing its shape / b

a handwritten note
weighted with a stone / ec

cassiopeia
traced in the dust
of a cold moon / b

below the boat,
infinity tinted blue / tm

falling for you-
two ball,
corner pocket / ec

her thighs grip his Harley
as young quail scatter /tm

the autistic boy,
in thrall
of shining wind / b

a bottle catches the breeze-
my sentiments exactly / ec

paper, scissors, rock...
an origami crane
flutters to the ground / tm

of rainbows, crayons,
and summer school daisies / b



tm: turdus migratorius... (Robin)
ec: El Coyote... (Eric V.)
b: bandit... (William Sorlien)

completed October 27, 2009

Degachi

Hokku submissions for a renku of yet undetermined length-
all comments are welcome!

mist suspended
in brilliantine
sunlight -? b

drowsy bees
listlessly mount
blossoms of weeds -? b

a drowsy bee's
languid humming
weeds past full bloom -? b

.......................

shooting stars
unfathomable distance
between us -? TM

soaking up sunlight;
golden apples
await the fall-? TM

ripened light
golden apples
await the fall -? TM

butterflies...
his eyelashes brush
my cheek -? TM


....................


twilight stroll
a pocket full
of rose hips -? EC

seven new bills
but at least
the Giants won -EC?

rising embers
the hunting party
has returned- EC?

ready to bolt
the mounted elk head
stares at the door- EC?

Long City Sidewalks

long city sidewalks
the sweltering moon
aligns with Mars / b

past the lemonade,
my creaking hammock swing / gj

into the wind
the crew manuevering
to maintain balance / b

slow ominous circles
a broken wing / gj

hiking with Dad
my three steps
to his one / ah

captured tadpoles
in a budweiser bottle / gj

a brief glimpse,
a reflection,
vanished in the crowd / b

seeing my breath
feeling yours / gj

gaseous bubbles
rise from
the ancient pond / b

acupressure points
easing digestion / gj

on Joe Pye's weed
caressing
the sleepy bees / b

a honey colored
autumn dusk / gj

Completed July 7, 2009
Revised July 12, 2009

altadenahiker-Karin Bugge
bandit-William Sorlien
govindajohn-John Merryfield

birds-
children's lip prints
on the window

it's summer
and are you sentimental?
corn again

sparse shade
butterfly wings afford
the only breeze

The author's are assembling now.
As is our "tradition", the author's post an introductory
haiku prior to our renku...

Wild Onions

still night
a wandering spirit
stirs the wind chimes /ec

all alone now
a year I'd like to forget /b

clear and cold
every now and then
startled by a spark /bt

sock it to-um
a family motto /gj

elk tracks found
under the hunter's moon
good omen /tm

shooting star...
my thoughts return to you/ ec

conversing
in our autumn voice
snails and birds /b

apology flowers
their passion yet to wither /bt

low tide
she shows me
her stretch marks /gj

abstract art
not my thing /tm

ignoring the signs
a growing distance
from myself/ ec

close friend's return
back in touch with my heart /b

sunday blues
she sneaks up on me
the summer moon /bt

invoking the tamborine
a fragrant breeze /gj

sultry whispers -
warmed by the whiskey's
amber light /tm

sparks from the fire
eyeing the leftovers /iy

the hillside ablaze
california poppies
rolling unto the sea /ec

spring dreams
days etched in black and white /b

muddled footprints
they fade out quickly
in remaining snow /bt

dusty pick-up
turns into the dirt road /gj

crackling storm
the ozark highlands
rumble /tm

bucking in the far field
spooked horses / ec

wild onions
the cabin become
too close for comfort / b

wood stove
the heat of family scrabble /bt

high noon
a herd of lab mice
set free /gj

joined in flight
mosquito hawks make love /tm

songs of devotion
the rhythm
of her breath /ec

wind and clouds paint
infinite shades of gray /b

harvest moon
her lullabye
becomes a whisper /bt

dust of the boulder
instant mashed potato /gj

the sumo wrestler
calls his cat -
late night meal /tm

the spicy tuna maki
tastes a little fishy/ ec

the foreman's cold stare
a dog takes a last bite
of alarm clock / b

the flute raised slowly to her lips
decrescendo /bt

six perceptions
reduced by infinity
-white cherry blossoms /gj

afloat in tranquil waters-
songs of silence /tm

Completed May 31, 2009

el coyote
bandit
bluetoque
govindajohn
t.migratorius
irie yogini

the long journey home
a small pine
on the path

the heat of it
into my fingers
green tea

salty plumes
rise to greet the sun -
whale song

petunia-
the town librarian
talking to the flowers

withered birch
hidden amidst green pine
mistaken for ghosts


The authors are assembling now.
As per our "tradition" we post
an introductory verse preceding
our renku.

creek side camp
a trickle amongst
the stars

at dawn
the sky drained of darkness

Under the Porch Light

birdsong ~
I offer my love
a cup of green tea

tm

a sign in the leaves,
blue sky less hazy

b

smiling
while tea picking-
yellow teeth

gj

sipping slowly
my mind begins to drift

ec

crushed by the weight ~
memories of
moonlit snow

tm

just the right jigglement,
fishing through thick ice

b

haiku drill...
wake up
listen to the birds

gj

a new day unfolding,
I bow to the east

ec

sake at noon ~
questioning everything
I once knew

tm

a slow dance...
watching in the mirror

b

desolate window,
too frightened, wrong way
little bird

gj

crisp moon...
out walking in my down vest

ec

at daybreak
black geese depart
from this shore

tm

under the porch light
dad calls us all in

b

oiled wood-
puddles of rain
so separate

gj

her peacock feather earrings,
the new spring line

ec

all tangled
in blossom scented sheets,
laundry day

tm

wafting soap bubbles
lead us out of the forest

b

light shafts above
-a break in the pattern
releases the soul

ec

a sun dagger motif
and the smell of hail

gj

turbulence
forcing the plane higher
...photo of his wife

tm

their old 'kettle whistles-
one chipped cup

b

long shadows,
the cicada's song
winding down

ec

family on the mountain road,
a little cuckoo

gj

the mantel clock
ticks incessantly,
a fly in my coffee

tm

afloat on the tranquil sea,
baby's first breaststroke

b

here nor there,
the balsa wood raft
rocks me to sleep

ec

awakened by the milky way,
so it seems

gj

autumn colors
fade into gray,
waxing moon

tm

confiding in the scarecrow
a vow to change the world

b

pandemic,
the stranger's smile
contagious

ec

face off...
demon mask in the temple

gj

white cranes
practicing tadasana,
the misty lagoon

tm

writing in silence
with invisible ink

b

inspiration...
blossoms fall on my empty page
ever so softly

ec

i can hear you
many baby birds

gj

begun on April 29, 2009
completed May 6, 2009


T. Migratorius verses 1, 5, 9, 13, 17, 21, 25, 29, 33

Bandit verses 2, 6, 10, 14, 18, 22, 26, 30, 34

GovindaJohn verses 3, 7, 11, 15, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36

El Coyote verses 4, 8, 12, 16, 19, 23, 27, 31, 35

Green Tea and Bird Song dot blogspot dot com

morning star
a single ship
on the horizon