extra innings

Living in Boston, the enormity of the Red Sox' success in the playoffs makes it difficult to write haiku with any sort of objectivity. In this case I tried to see things as my dog might. She doesn't care much for baseball, but in the NBA she's a big fan of the Minnesota Timberwolves...

extra innings
I ignore
my pacing dog

geese flying

digging holes
i hit a rock --
the sound of geese overhead

man with flower basket

man with flower basket
keeps elevator doors from closing

unlit match

one more unlit match rolls to the side of the oven

rain out

Mary took this photo during a Pawtucket Red Sox game in July, but it seems even more poignant now that their parent team is struggling to regain some post-season momentum at Fenway. I have to wonder if this particular haiku is too time and place-specific to have any universal appeal. On the other hand, how could I not write it?

rain out --
one more day to dream
in October

and a variation (split infinitive and all):

rain out --
one more day in October
to dream

sleepy swinger

This photo, taken by my wife Mary, has been accompanied by two haiku, but none that would stand on its own without the photo. The first - intended as the haiku portion of a sort of photo-haiga - was:

Boston Common
even a swing musician
has to sleep

Even though I still chuckle when I read it, I can't help but think that this is more of an explanation of the photo than a complement to it. The second was the final link (ageku) of the renku "walking blues", recently published in the web journal "Simply Haiku":

deep sigh
a roll of dice

As is typical of renku, this is more of a "link and shift" from the photo than it is a companion haiku. Ideally I would like to write a haiku that captures the moment in parallel with the photo, something that seems elusive at the moment...

Paul

spider web

morning commute --
a freshly spun
spider web

(photo by my wife, Mary Melodee Mena :^)

one liners

I was experimenting recently with one liners (with photos) - you can view them here and your thoughts are welcome:

one liners

-Sangeet

headlights

this is an older one of mine.. does it work?

headlights
the dressed up young woman
stopping suddenly

sangeet (3-5-2004)

gnat (2)

Here's an idea I had for a "concrete" version of John's "gnat" haiku, something that I must admit is totally foreign to me:

http://www.haikupoet.com/gnat.html

Does it make any sense at all?

Paul

heavy sigh

Here's one I wrote yesterday:

heavy sigh --
headlights reflected
in the rain-soaked pavement

I was attempting to evoke a feeling of wabi, or at least melancholy, but I think I only acheived a feeling of melancholy myself for not having quite evoked it. I'm not sure the image of headlights on wet pavement is quite strong enough. :^(

Paul

woodear mushroom

woodear mushroom on a tree
the wind makes its way
through

gnat

gnat
into and out of my face