haiku retrospective cxxvi

tree shadows ~
coyote song echoes
against the moon

6 October 2000


hunter's moon ~
the torn flesh of the pomegranate

6 October 2000


lightning ~
the small boy pounces
on a cookie

6 October 2000

haiku retrospective cxxv

hawk's cry ~
the stellers jay closes
its beak

1 October 2000


captive cricket ~
the creak of the swing
on the playground

2 October 2000


glass jar ~
the five-legged cricket eats
an apple peel

2 October 2000

haiku retrospective cxxiv

steamy bathtub ~
the freshly washed toddler
dunks his doll

1 October 2000


sunday afternoon ~
the skill saw drowns out
the birds

1 October 2000


all the lonely people ~
the modem lights blink off

1 October 2000

haiku retrospective cxxiii

clouds darken ~
gusts blow the first leaves
from the maple

les nuages assombrent ~
les premieres feuilles de l'erable
soufflent par rafales

21 September 2000

haiku retrospective cxxii

after breakfast ~
the baby squirrel's tail
and the sleeping cat

7 September 2000


one-legged heron --
small fish dart from shadow
to shadow

9 September 2000


autumn twilight ~
an algebra book open
on the couch

26 September 2000

haiku retrospective cxxi

lockdown ~
the stellers jay eyes
the ice chest

sacked out ~
a morning's worth of dirt
on the toddler's overalls

crow hop ~
a bird in blue
patrols the campground

track meet ~
three squirrels race
to the picnic table

clean-up crew ~
squirrels and blue jays
followed by ravens

27 August 2000

haiku retrospective cxx

dust devil ~
an owl spreads his wings
on an old saguaro

14 August 2000


chain smoker
he blames hormones
for the tears in her eyes

14 August 2000


tilted fence ~
layers of shadows
on the ivy

15 August 2000

haiku retrospective cxix

open suitcase ~
she reads the oncology report
backwards

13 August 2000


swift river --
speckled fish swim
in place

13 August 2000


spring monsoon ~
golden state museum
floods the landfill

13 August 2000

haiku retrospective cxviii

three a.m.
she trips over the black
cat

11 August 2000


almost dusk ~
the quarrel of children
in the treehouse

11 August 2000


south wind ~
leaf shadows scatter
across the tree trunk

13 August 2000

haiku retrospective cxvii

LUSH

-or-

Giving Thanks for All the Middle-Aged Men I Didn't Marry


lush ~
the swell of his
biceps

lush ~
the fur on his
chest

lush ~
the engine in his
sports car

lush ~
the beer on his
breath

4 August 2000

haiku retrospective cxvi

untidy shelf
a stack of books waiting
to be put away

3 August 2000


wigged out ~
some men go bald but he
wears a toupee

3 August 2000


shady deck
two naked boys
turn on the hose

11 August 2000

haiku retrospective cxv

compost bin --
volunteer potatoes grow
through the slats

1 August 2000


muggy afternoon --
mammatus clouds over
the parched earth

[Mammatus clouds are the pouchy clouds that are left after a large cumulonimbus (thunderhead) has dropped its load.]

1 August 2000


the high
that can be cooed
is not haiku

3 August 2000

haiku retrospective cxiv

I'm pretty sure I didn't write as many haiku on 27 July 2000 as the last several retrospective posts would indicate. They must have been collected in a notebook somewhere until I got around to posting them to the old shiki list.

petty theft ~
he takes a bite
of her poached egg

27 July 2000


midnight dusk ~
a navy blue sky full of
faded stars

27 July 2000


back porch campout ~
the tall trees darker than
the summer sky

1 August 2000

haiku retrospective cxiii

empty playground ~
a squirrel buries nuts
in the sand

27 July 2000


empty teacup ~
the laundry basket
overflows

27 July 2000


doll tea party ~
azalea flower hats
on unbrushed curls

27 July 2000

haiku retrospective cxii

rising sun
the baby sits up in bed
and crows

27 July 2000


lingering day --
the Mystery Spot
isn't

27 July 2000



three grains of rice ~
the mouse scurries
to its hole

27 July 2000

introducing atticus

Meet the newest member of the family:

Atticus Jackson Graft

Here are his parents, Alex and Priscilla.

And his proud GrandDa and Uncle Merlin.

Lotsa little guy to hold here.

The whole wild and loving family coming out for the event.

Quite a cuddly armful.

Phoenix, demonstrating baby-holding prowess.

A beautiful day for the family at the park.

Definitely the light in his parents' eyes.

That man looks really good holding a baby, don't you think?

And Merlin's definitely off to a good start on his baby-holding career.

Malcolm's not singing the blues here, either.

haiku retrospective cxi

trombone solo ~
raindrops add a B natural
to the score

pomp and circumstance ~
raindrops contribute
the grace notes

25 July 2000

haiku retrospective cx

not the way ~
the way that
can be weighed

13 July 2000


haiku moment ~
the baby on my lap
sleeps

25 July 2000


peach blossom ~
the toddler cradles
his doll

25 July 2000

haiku retrospective cix

hot pavement ~
a tadpole
in a jar

2 July 2000


summer house ~
the gate chain half-buried
in leaf mould

4 July 2000


after love --
the cries of a
hungry baby

13 July 2000

haiku retrospective cviii

final draft
old barn siding
on the walls

26 June 2000


midterm ~
he sniffs the eau de heather
on his fingertips

1 July 2000


dry morning--
dust
in the water bucket

2 July 2000

haiku retrospective cvii

summer solstice ~
frosting from his first birthday cake
on his chin

21 June 2000


back porch campout ~
picking the scabs on
his mosquito bites

23 June 2000


first birthday
his hand traces the curve of my hip
awakening

23 June 2000

haiku retrospective cvi

the thin stream twists
from one teapot to another ~
morning oolong

spent tea leaves ~
the scent of almonds
and cinnamon

17 June 2000

haiku retrospective cv

winter rain ~
seeds die and
rot

green carpet in the graveyard ~
rebirth

16 June 2000

haiku retrospective civ

This offering is a finger exercise, playing with various ways that a woman can ignore an ogling man.

white lace shawl -
she pretends not to see
his eyes on her

picket fence ~
she tries not to notice
his lingering gaze

rose petal blush -
she avoids those eyes
fixed on her

15 June 2000

haiku retrospective ciii

heat wave ~
a single pulse of pain
in a sinus headache

14 June 2000


a ring
through her eyebrow -
body art?

15 June 2000



no fog ~
long shadows on the grass

16 June 2000

haiku retrospective cii

shaking out crumbs ~
the smell of rain
on asphalt

8 June 2000


summer blaze ~
the tobacconist's
goes up in smoke

9 June 2000


fourth of july
a cottonwood blizzards
on the picnic

9 June 2000

haiku retrospective ci

how deep
the silence
between the words

30 May 2000


half a lizard ~
the black cat sleeps
in the shade

2 June 2000


earth ball ~
the children pretend
to be dung beetles

6 June 2000

haiku retrospective c

mercury rising ~
slipping in the sand
each grain burns my foot

21 May 2000



spring afternoon ~
the leaf shadow spreads
on the pond

28 May 2000


bird in flight ~
the heavy boots of the child
on the swing

29 May 2000

haiku retrospective xcix

moon shadows ~
the leaves of the oak
whisper lullabyes

14 May 2000



hot morning ~
the shadows of her lace parasol
on her tie-dyed shirt

20 May 2000



birdsong ~
the rush of the river
over stones

20 May 2000

haiku retrospective xcviii

may dawn ~
a green singing finch
dead on the aviary floor

13 May 2000


manna from heaven
the jay in the tree
drops a hamburger bun

13 May 2000


high bridge ~
the soundless splashes
of dropped stones

14 May 2000

haiku retrospective xcvii

twilight ~
pools of lupine
in the deep meadow grass

8 May 2000

haiku retrospective xcvi

Mother's Day haiku to the mothers in my life, 5 May 2000

To my grandmother

summer lullabye ~
shuffling cards, muffled voices,
and a cricket's chirp


To my mother

after the fall ~
the warmth and security
of your brown arms


To my mother-in-law

puzzling ~
why don't you try that piece
right there?

haiku retrospective xcv

three days past easter ~
an undyed egg in the shadows
of the fruit basket

26 April 2000


sleepless night ~
a new tooth
in the baby's smile

26 April 2000



slice of canteloupe
savoring
the heat of your lips


27 April 2000