“A Few Haiku (13)”

On November 20, 2021 By Mike U.In Poetry6 Comments

(#73)

Those who lost their way
In Aokigahara
Must be remembered

…..

(#74)

In the sea of trees
Koto and shamisen play
Sorrowful dirges

…..

(#75)

When the mist is thick
I can’t see the whip-poor-wills
Calling out to me

…..

(#76)

The cold moon sails on
A black sea of bitter stars
Wake of cosmic tears

…..

(#77)

Early morning mist
In the green konara copse
Forest holds its breath

…..

(#78)

Autumn has no shame
Strips away the world’s facade
Exposes our sins

“A Tanka Trio (8)”

On November 18, 2021 By Mike U.In Poetry3 Comments

(#22)

Propaganda, lies
And conspiracy theories
Are killing people
Your rights end where mine begin
Wear a mask and vaccinate

…..

(#23)

Lone bristlecone pine
Bears the scars of lightning strikes
But has not succumbed
Wise old man on mountainside
Wizened by millennia

…..

(#24)

Will the earth miss us
After we have killed ourselves
Earth will carry on
Healing slowly over time
Once human virus is purged

“A Few Haiku (12)”

On November 16, 2021November 16, 2021 By Mike U.In Poetry4 Comments

(#67)

Regret stills haunts me
Even though my heart tells me
I did all I could

…..

(#68)

When I am in need
God responds to all my prayers
“Return to sender”

…..

(#69)

The days come and go
But sometimes inside my heart
The night never leaves

…..

(#70)

Summer sun has gone
That impostor in the sky
Only leaves me cold

…..

(#71)

Autumn’s thievery
Has left more than trees barren
Summer leaves no heir

…..

(#72)

Seasons’ edges blurred
Snow on flowers, freezing rain
I seek clarity

“A Few Haiku (11)”

On November 14, 2021December 29, 2024 By Mike U.In Poetry8 Comments

(#61)

Earth, sea and sky have
Tales to tell; be patient
For they speak slowly

…..

(#62)

I attain wisdom
Not from church or pagoda
But from woods and streams

…..

(#63)

When winter wind blows
All pretense is torn away
Bares my soul to all

…..

(#64)

Whispering sea shell
Tells of life I could have had
If I’d dared to live

…..

(#65)

This overgrown path
Filled with rocks and thorns cannot
Lead me home again

…..

(#66)

bitter early snow
I don’t recognize this world
anymore

“A Few Haiku (10)”

On November 12, 2021 By Mike U.In Poetry18 Comments

(#55)

Caught like wounded prey
In sharp fangs of granite crags
Dusk sun spills its blood

…..

(#56)

Those coins that fall through
Gaps in floorboards forgotten
Like old memories

…..

(#57)

My heart recalls you
Like my broken bleeding thumb
Recalls the hammer

…..

(#58)

Do my deafened ears
Make me any less human
I hear with my heart

…..

(#59)

Scarlet gilia
Weep sweet tears in sage meadow
After thunderstorm

…..

(#60)

On my back porch step
There’s so much to think about
And so little time

“A Few Haiku (9)”

On November 10, 2021October 6, 2024 By Mike U.In Poetry5 Comments

(#49)

The silent garden
My mother’s memories
Germinate

…..

(#50)

There is never joy
In the dark night of the soul
I embrace the dawn

…..

(#51)

I still hear the sound
Of breezes in bamboo groves
When I think of you

…..

(#52)

Some days all I need
Is to watch the spotted cat
Chasing butterflies

…..

(#53)

It is my hope when
Kiku bloom in time to come
You’ll remember me

…..

(#54)

My old hoe is dull
And the weeds resist its blade
Still I toil on

“A Few Haiku (8)”

On November 8, 2021 By Mike U.In Poetry15 Comments

(#43)

Sweat upon my brow
Dries to crystal salt; my toil
Earns ivory crown

…..

(#44)

Early morning mist
Mother cloud comes home to nest
Earth is safe and warm

…..

(#45)

Insects whispering
Secrets filled with mystery
As I plant the rice

…..

(#46)

In the pond I learned
All I need to know of life
Koi glide peacefully

…..

(#47)

My old white dog tries
To catch the swift stream but he
Only ends up wet

…..

(#48)

In these callused hands
There is dirt beneath the nails
Strength and wisdom too

“A Tanka Trio (7)”

On November 7, 2021 By Mike U.In Poetry9 Comments

(#19)

When I sought knowledge
I opened my eyes and ears
When I sought wisdom
I opened my mind and heart
Rain and sunshine for my soul

…..

(#20)

In my winter dreams
I walk barefoot in the spring
Sink my toes in loam
In the green konara copse
Gathering the brown acorns

…..

(#21)

Near the red footbridge
Piebald koi drowse in the shade
Of lotus blossoms
As cicadas call my name
Welcoming me home again

“A Few Haiku (7)”

On November 5, 2021November 9, 2024 By Mike U.In Poetry13 Comments

(#37)

Swathed in winter’s arms
Chilly bosom hushes earth
Snowy lullaby

…..

(#38)

As heron’s plume drifts
Away on a silent stream
Memories of you fade

…..

(#39)

Do worms of the earth
Dream of sunlight; are their minds
As blind as their eyes

…..

(#40)

I’ve tried to catch the
Fleeting breeze in my hands but
I am unworthy

…..

(#41)

In the thunderstorm
Footprints filled with rain water
I have lost my way

…..

(#42)

Near the waterfall
Yellow birds drink from the cups
Of purple flowers

“A Few Haiku (6)”

On November 4, 2021 By Mike U.In Poetry6 Comments

(#31)

Autumn ground mists rise
Earth gives up its ghosts as moon
Summons spirits home

…..

(#32)

Stones in shallow stream
Smooth and round as heron’s eggs
Current tends her nest

…..

(#33)

In a bamboo cage
Finch sings of the open skies
It will never see

…..

(#34)

In a forest pond
Lotus float like small wasen
Laden with blossoms

…..

(#35)

Mud on waraji
Sticks like bitter memories
I cannot let go

…..

(#36)

Perfume of willows
And the laughter of the stream
Hope is still alive

Silent Pariah

Tag: nature