31 May 2009

Haiku 151

(for the Wild Swans at Coole)

Dirty pigeons gyre
From puddles in the pavement --
But if they were swans. . . .

30 May 2009

Haiku 150

(an excess of the picturesque)

Taqueria talk:
One man shrugs to his neighbor,
"El chupacabra. . . "

29 May 2009

Haiku 149

Molasses clockhands
Dripping despair down onto
My frozen desktop

*******

(after seeing the Georgia O'Keefe/Ansel Adams exhibit at SF MOMA)

The necessary
Beauty of the harsh and spare:
Adobe churches

28 May 2009

Haiku 148

Once you dreamt of me
And now I lie here lost in
Sleepless dreams of you

27 May 2009

Haiku 147

Dreaming of orchards
As pink blossoms give way to
Hard green little fruits.

26 May 2009

Haiku 146

Low sunlight shafts shoot
Hallucinatory green
Through the jumpy leaves

25 May 2009

Haiku 145

Hierophantic
Days yearning for nights filled with
Luminosity

*******

(Memorial Day)

The waves do not know
What righteous cause or quarrel
Drowned the young sailors

24 May 2009

Haiku 144

(for Beato Angelico)

Stately delicate
Dance of angels and saints bright
Joy in rose and gold

23 May 2009

Haiku 143

Let us speak lightly
Of all the serious things,
But let us speak them.

22 May 2009

Haiku 142

Where does money go?
Bright butterflies flutter off
Where does it come from?

21 May 2009

Haiku 141

Stunned under the sun's
Indifferent energy,
Waiting for night's rest

20 May 2009

Haiku 140

You left your free-trade
Sugar packets torn and tossed
All over the place

19 May 2009

18 May 2009

Haiku 138

Cool breeze of today,
Where did you hide yesterday
While I dreamt of you?

17 May 2009

Haiku 137

Daily, dead leaves drop:
The autumn underlying
Bright springtime flowers

*******

Heat waves kill roses
Yet those dried petals release
Headier perfumes

16 May 2009

Haiku 136

Kitchen sink dripping,
Tub gurgling, toilet flushing:
Fountains of Versailles

15 May 2009

Haiku 135

(contemplating concert-going)

Noises you pay for
Against noises that intrude:
Lotus, rise from mud!

14 May 2009

Haiku 134

Stubbly sparkling grass
Brown curve of a dew-drenched bench
Unseen birds singing

13 May 2009

Haiku 133

Undistinguished and
Indistinguishable days --
Where did they all go?

12 May 2009

Haiku 132

Why sweep up the mess?
We are the fragmented world.
We are broken glass.

10 May 2009

Haiku 130

Sweeter than music,
Sweeter than birdsong or brook,
Sweetest is silence

09 May 2009

Haiku 129

Rain-ragged flyers
Stapled rust-streaked to a board;
Palimpset of loss

08 May 2009

Haiku 128

3 Haiku for Balanchine's Jewels

1. Emeralds
Verdant the river
Flowing shaded, soft and sad;
(Why did you leave me?)

2. Rubies
Jump up like a flame!
Jazzy jaunty pelvises!
That's romance! Grab it!

3. Diamonds
Snow-white swan's down, glide
Down to cape and crown the head
Of my beloved

07 May 2009

Haiku 127

Sparkle on the green
Waters of the dancing waves;
Soft and sweet, sail on

06 May 2009

Haiku 126

Away from windows
Under waxy light reading
About green nature

05 May 2009

Haiku 125

They need some dusting,
Your sad little romances,
Up there on that shelf

04 May 2009

Haiku 124

While black umbrellas
Open, the golden poppies
Remain curled up tight

*******

Glum Winter squats down
On flighty silly Springtime;
Both have their beauties

03 May 2009

Haiku 123

Office eyelids drop
Late afternoons, like snowflakes
In early winter

*******

A passing shadow,
And quick intimation of
Some obscurer dread

*******

Sudden rush of rain
Splashing swiftly through the leaves,
The tender green leaves

*******

Luminosity
Of the single silver drop
Gathered in cupped leaves

02 May 2009

Haiku 122

Tiger-striped shadows
Rustling through the underbrush
With each passing breeze

01 May 2009

Haiku 121

The winds are easy
The soft clouds curl overhead
The rain falls gently