Tuesday, October 26, 2004

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

Sunday, October 24, 2004

geese flying

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

Tuesday, October 19, 2004

man with flower basket

man with flower basket
keeps elevator doors from closing

Sunday, October 17, 2004

unlit match

one more unlit match rolls to the side of the oven

Friday, October 15, 2004

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

Thursday, October 14, 2004

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)

    Wednesday, October 13, 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