Wordtreasure Diary
January 11, 2004
1
(senryu)
Christmas 2000
new moon rising
agnostic sun
February 15, 2004
2
(winter)
snow, wafer thin--
to the shoulders
of brown blades
3
(winter)
gliding across
the frisbee toss,
a snow dust devil
4
(winter)
mid-winter
some stupid leaves
forgot to fall
5
(senryu)
as I open
my wordtreasure,
the Archduke Trio
6
(winter)
winter oak
the hollow knock
of a woodpecker
7
(winter)
Seneca Creek
I catch a snowflake
with my tongue
May 16, 2004
8
(senryu)
no smoking zone
a last patch
before hanging
9
(spring)
April wind--
green leaves upended
white underbellies
10
(tanka)
a mist of blood
an angry maelstrom
of tears and pain
the end of life returns the hurt
of life's beginning
May 21, 2004
11
(tanka)
tiny birds climb
wheel and dive
precision starlings
all the world
is weary of peace
June 6, 2004
12
(tanka)
a sleek beauty
from the T'ang Dynasty
until
the cell phone
and southern drawl
13
(tanka)
lost mojo
on the Red Line
a sweet face
no opportunity
for me
14
(tanka)
a thousand rattlers
cicadas near
cicadas far
the buzz
of transmission lines
June 20, 2004
15
(tanka)
my glass is filled
with dusk tonight
I swirl the west and think of you
and sip the stars
down to the stem
July 4, 2004
16
(tanka)
clattering into the world--
wrist-snapping dice
immovable brick
four nasty throws
one chance apiece
July 11, 2004
17
(summer)
breathing deep--
rain unlocks the fragrance
of oily streets
18
(senryu)
lost thirty pounds
found, in the mirror,
my father's cheekbones
19
(tanka)
drifting petals
from the apple tree
also silent
a whiff
of fresh-cut grass
20
(tanka)
wind over the lake
desiccate leaves
scrape indolently
at our feet
like the years
August 1, 2004
21
(tanka)
trembling leaves
uncertain love
a yellow moment
trembling in the wind
trembling then quickly gone
22
(tanka)
I cross my arms
and touch your breasts
with grateful hands
and brush-kiss
your neck and shoulder blade
23
(tanka)
lonely are those
now alone
one life together
one love forever
was all they ever wanted
August 15, 2004
24
(tanka)
moon consoles the artist
who yearns to be
that solitary island
in an endless sea
of stars
25
(winter)
false spring
a red thermal
thaws the gloaming
26
(winter)
black ice
beneath the park lamp...
lake and moon
27
(summer)
slant cottonwood seeds
my new white mailbox:
so elegant!
August 29, 2004
28
(tanka)
the soldier waits
for enemy fire
and mindfulness
at the end of his gun
a wavering moth
29
(tanka)
dual choirs of leaves
paint their polyphonies
of red and gold
disturbing the peace
disorderly ducks
30
(tanka)
aggressive jay--
one robin attacks
the other cannot sit
instinctively
I cross my arms
September 19, 2004
31
(spring)
sunlit cedar branches
cobalt green
on combed red bark
32
(tanka)
pink cloud cover
in the Conservatory
fuchsias
memories
of Grandfather's house
33
(senryu)
window
out there, Jesus
here, Buddha nature
October 3, 2004
34
(summer)
silence
on Tiger Mountain
not even a bird
35
(winter)
clouds
the skeletal woods
are pencil black
36
(winter)
sun blade:
grass shoe prints
in the snow
37
(summer)
an August sprinking
sweet damp dust
on parched grass
April 3, 2005
38
(winter)
Oregon fog
rumors
of mountains
39
(summer)
leaning against
the earth's axis
cloud ladder
April 10, 2005
40
(tanka)
watching himself
watch himself
the buried flow
of a river
iced over
April 24, 2005
41
(winter)
ice storm
translucent limbs
filter the rising sun
42
(spring)
blackbird rises
to the treeline like an ash
in the wind
43
(spring)
bicycling through Noti
the bliss
of fresh-cut lumber
May 1, 2005
44
(spring)
new construction
nesting swallows contend
for an electrical outlet
May 15, 2005
45
(spring)
solitude
my gravelly crunch
on the logging road
46
(spring)
marsh steam rising
redwing blackbird clings
to a swaying cattail
May 22, 2005
47
(spring)
I close my files.
On Broadway, waiting for my touch,
sweet lavender.
48
(spring)
clear cut--
spared firs, more gray than green,
confront the sun
49
(spring)
thousands of thanes
with brown mail and tan helmets
cattail army
May 29, 2005
50
(spring)
drained reservoir--
high on a hillock,
marsh grasses
51
(spring)
wooly bear
comes out of hiding
spring equinox
52
(spring)
sunrise commute--
a seamless growth of fog
on the valley floor
June 5, 2005
53
(spring)
clover-green sunlight,
forest-green cloud shadows:
checkerboard Coast Range
54
(senryu)
mysterious bird call
cell phone battery
needs a charge
June 15, 2005
55
(tanka)
double-clicking
the Events folder
our first kiss--
remembering your touch,
the tilt of your face
56
(tanka)
the river flowed backward
for her--friends took leave
one by one
she is all alone
at the source
June 19, 2005
57
(winter)
ice storm
the Matthew tree: a seedling pine
now tall with severed limbs
58
(senryu)
Viet Nam,
Iraq--
sorry about that
June 26, 2005
59
(tanka)
found,
on a wooded acre near Boren Lake,
an Odd Fellows cemetery
the long-forgotten dead--
my tingling flesh
60
(summer)
in the tall weeds,
electric shears rouse
a pale orange ladybug
61
(summer)
retention pond--
winter's bellowing frogs;
summer's silence
July 3, 2005
62
(spring)
rain brims the pond;
like pigs in mud,
frog jubilation
63
(summer)
the arc of a hawk
ridges of the Coast Range--
far is light, near is dark
July 10, 2005
64
(summer)
words of a poem
before it is written
ducks prepare for liftoff
65
(summer)
ordinary words
fly up from the lake
to form a poem
66
(autumn)
leaving Oregon,
a long V of ducks
freezing rain
July 17, 2005
67
(tanka)
she touched my cheek
and turned away--
summer's end
how many turns
around the sun?
July 24, 2005
68
(spring)
warm showers
the little frog peeks out
at the affairs of the world
69
(senryu)
boots on the ground:
who wants to die
for a lie?
July 31, 2005
70
(summer)
pulling weeds in record heat--
emerging
from an ocean of sweat
71
(spring)
swallows veer away;
lap siding shuts them out
unfinished nest
72
(tanka)
young lovers
on my street
still there,
lodged in the brain,
shrapnel from the middle school wars
August 6, 2005
73
(winter)
morning snow
white beret with a playful tilt--
Rainier cloud cap
August 28, 2005
74
(autumn)
the shaggy sky circles once,
then settles down for a nap
falling leaves
75
(autumn)
sleet on the ground
above the pond of polished silver,
a pewter sky
September 4, 2005
76
(tanka)
no mind:
cherry trees push out
their flowers
the unintended consequence
of beauty
77
(tanka)
at Mother's funeral,
condolences of strangers...
wanting
to be
alone
78
(tanka)
clouds
cut off the top
of the last full moon
of summer--
tangerine smile
79
(tanka)
repair work
on the dam
emptying out
the harmony
of water and mud
September 18, 2005
80
(tanka)
migrating geese--
they seem to know
where to go
I weigh my options;
therefore, I am
81
(summer)
technically
the last week of summer--
rain blots the sun
September 25, 2005
82
(tanka)
a thump against
my office window
blackbird
pecks off the head
of the stunned sparrow
83
(tanka)
panning up
from the reporter,
a bird in flight is motionless
Hurricane Katrina
on CNN
84
(summer)
salt breeze
a kite without a tail
goes round and round
85
(summer)
Nye Beach
a small boy pays out the string:
the squeal of a kite-master
October 2, 2005
86
(tanka)
our raft is spinning
we hear the falls ahead
the current gathers speed
layoffs: hard work
for the executive team!
87
(autumn)
warm October rain--
blackbird plucks a worm
off the street
October 9, 2005
88
(autumn)
cold snap--
as useless as the setting moon,
the rising sun
89
(autumn)
objects in the clouds
remembering mother
pointing out the shapes
90
(autumn)
amid the commonplace,
a herringbone cloud
Cascade sunrise
91
(tanka)
pure
in all six directions:
faith...
certainty floods in,
seeps out
92
(tanka)
limpid water
slips over the rocks
moonlight
water-polished
granite
October 16, 2005
93
(tanka)
wondering...
will I be red
or gold?
will I be raked
into a pile?
94
(tanka)
driving east:
dark gray clouds
and black mountains--
stitched together
by the yellow dawn
October 23, 2005
95
(autumn)
hummingbird
delicate brush kisses
fuchsias
96
(autumn)
day ends
and day begins
in silence
97
(autumn)
billowing and soughing--
salmon-pink leaves
can trees be happy?
98
(autumn)
wooly bear!
I move him from the street
to the vacant lot
99
(tanka)
the thin flat line
of the rising sun
across the east:
black fabrics
and bright gold piping
100
(tanka)
in the shallows,
ducks branch around
a still snow-white egret
clouds are sliding past
the sun
October 30, 2005
101
(autumn)
beavers--
only their backs are visible
a nip in the wind
102
(autumn)
stone-paver clouds
a solitary heron
waits for instructions
103
(autumn)
the silence of the grass:
near Amazon Creek,
a herd of free-range geese
November 6, 2005
104
(tanka)
brainstorming
in the corner office
on the fifth floor--
the high seriousness
of fall colors
105
(senryu)
earth and sky
the age of man
earth and sky
106
(tanka)
hundreds of ducks
approach from the north
in a loose formation
how do they pick
their leader?
107
(winter)
blackbirds roost
on the branches of a leafless tree--
notes on a staff
108
(tanka)
a pinwheeling leaf
strikes the watercourse
and floats around the bend
gone forever
do you ever think of me?
November 13, 2005
109
(autumn)
sundown--
my long jogging shadow on houses
a mile away
110
(tanka)
a flickering film
from the late 40s
blond child
it's me
a thousand lives ago
111
(autumn)
autumn sunset--
black and pink clouds
on a light-cyan sky
112
(tanka)
except for age,
we have little in common
school chums
it should not bother me,
but it does
113
(spring)
spring sun--
unnoticed in winter's gloom,
our filthy windows
November 20, 2005
114
(spring)
white azaleas--
in love
and feeling loved
115
(tanka)
that ineffable feeling
of well being,
love:
words are tossed about
like manhole covers
116
(autumn)
late-November run
how far?
four blue herons
117
(tanka)
the meta-line
from setting sun to rising moon
runs through me
as if I were
the soul of a seesaw
November 27, 2005
118
(autumn)
the heron's reflection--
easier to see
than the heron
119
(senryu)
research grant--
the link between
bald men and topless bars
120
(winter)
winter
resident geese
in a wetlands cage
121
(autumn)
white pixels--
fog droplets populate
my black knit gloves
122
(winter)
indecisive geese
haggle over a landing spot
white winter sky
123
(senryu)
bird tracks
in the cement nature trail
curve to the left
124
(tanka)
opossums
reveal themselves to us
only as road kill
crime victims I never knew
are in the news
December 4, 2005
125
(tanka)
looking ahead to the past
remembering the future
one datastream
the road from home
is a road leading home
126
(senryu)
no fear--
criss-crossing
the Big Nothing
127
(autumn)
harvest moon
shape-shifter on the lake
a perfect circle above
128
(winter)
mince tarts in the oven
under the tree,
a train set for Grandpa
December 11, 2005
129
(summer)
Oregon coast
surf foam and a small boy
do the cha-cha
130
(senryu)
letting go
full vessel, empty vessel--
only one is useful
131
(summer)
200-mile view
from the mountaintop
good words are hard to find
132
(tanka)
West Eugene Wetlands--
going nowhere,
these geese fly around all day
why do they fly?
because they can
December 18, 2005
133
(tanka)
a solitary gull
stalked the beach,
then flew away
a cold, indifferent wave
erased his tracks forever
134
(tanka)
on the signal bridge,
I caught myself gazing
at the full moon over Hue
for a moment I forgot
men were dying
135
(tanka)
does it matter
if a corpse is rich or poor?
grave robbers love the rich
as for me,
my poems will always be safe
136
(tanka)
my run from hill to lake
is noisy, swift and short,
like life itself
traveler, remember me,
your kinsman
137
(tanka)
eyes and ears
were drawn to her
as she worked the crowded room
she made her surrounding
as elegant as herself
138
(tanka)
unseen, unheard,
forgotten men
adjust the universe
even a silent fart
leaves some trace behind
139
(tanka)
another failed nest
of dangling grass and twigs
on a ledge too narrow
atop my window
pregnant robin
December 25, 2005
140
(tanka)
love and laughter
lift her up for an afternoon--
after they leave
for husbands,
the old sorrow comes back
141
(tanka)
Christian prays for rain
to end the drought
Navajo restores himself
to harmony
with the drought
142
(tanka)
time is a purse seine
that snares
schools of men
do you feel
a narrowing?
143
(tanka)
possibilities
seemed endless once--
the supermarket
of choices
is now a mom and pop
January 15, 2006
144
(tanka)
a string of wake-up lights
on the far shore
of the lake
driving to work
planning my day
145
(autumn)
closing the pulp mill--
clean air
for the unemployed
146
(winter)
factory smoke rises
to the quarter moon
my jogger's footfall
147
(senryu)
on the quiet lake
I see the moon, but not the stars:
size matters
148
(winter)
ground-level clouds
meander through the firs
at the speed of a slug
January 22, 2006
149
(spring)
prairie grass
flattened by the wind
clouds in a hurry
150
(winter)
snowless winter
the clucking sound
of studded tires
151
(winter)
mixing bowl--
wind, rain, and sunlight turn,
turn again
152
(tanka)
the Other
takes in the dead,
expels the new-born
zero sum
cosmos
January 27, 2006
153
(senryu)
Mozart's later years,
from 36 to 70:
"A Wonderful Life"
January 29, 2006
154
(summer)
country road
lightning halves a tree
before my eyes
155
(autumn)
first bite
into a crisp apple--
a clap of thunder
156
(winter)
looking for a rainbow
hard rain and bright sun
go toe to toe
157
(senryu)
the one true god--
my scratching pen
on paper
158
(senryu)
more whoppers
from the president...
nine commandments, anyone?
159
(winter)
three-day storm
kick-start coffee:
nothing to do but write
160
(senryu)
poem by poem
brush-strokes on a canvas
impossibly large
161
(winter)
rain-swollen valley--
snug indoors,
poets replicate nature
162
(summer)
louder than a jet,
a mosquito makes a soft landing
on my ear
163
(summer)
Hoh Rain Forest--
no longer on death row,
a 200-foot spruce
February 5, 2006
164
(winter)
memories
from someone else's childhood
white church, starry night
165
(winter)
llama farm
curving out of the green loch,
a long black neck
166
(winter)
in my dream,
mother scolds a waitress
the coldest hour of the night
167
(winter)
empty
and quiet
putting away Christmas
168
(tanka)
with his head wedged
in a large can of tuna,
my neighbor's cat
lies in the street
white apple blossoms
169
(winter)
rain-smeared glass;
rain-spattered screen
looking for a cutting word
170
(tanka)
the old man
touches the smooth bark
of the camphor tree
he used to climb--
the diaspora of playmates
171
(senryu)
bug-fixing
an infinite loop
anger management
172
(winter)
winter rains
the retention pond
finally gets a frog
173
(winter)
brilliant sunlight
amid the downpour
shiny-white blacktop
174
(winter)
birdless winter--
fuchsias wait
for the first hummingbird
175
(tanka)
dreaming
of a sun bridge
over wine-red waters
on the edge
of a timeless void
176
(senryu)
googling a name
from the old neighborhood
not feeling lucky
177
(tanka)
woodstove smoke
shuffles to the east
joins the greater fog
Sunday morning
with nothing better to do
178
(winter)
documenting the code
looking up,
Three Sisters Mountain
179
(senryu)
laughter in the silent street
going home
as a trespasser
180
(winter)
lifting fog
breezes paint the color green
across the valley
February 12, 2006
181
(winter)
sun break
ducks splash down
on raspberry clouds
182
(winter)
morning star
the pond's only frog asserts,
"I am somebody"
183
(winter)
no-name pond
ice as thick
as a shadow
184
(summer)
alpine emptiness
lavender lake
and sky
185
(winter)
a perfect cloud circle
around the moon
H-bomb wave ring
186
(winter)
the helpful creek
gives the river a mighty shove
drowned cattails
187
(tanka)
spoke-rays of the sun
above/below
the narrow cloud bank
when real nature
looks fake
188
(winter)
winter commute
evergreens materialize
out of the fog
189
(winter)
water vapor rises
off the lake
clouds are inching lower
190
(winter)
rare azure skies
dazzling-white Three Sisters
bone-white waxing moon
February 26, 2006
191
(winter)
counting cars
at the railroad crossing
cold drizzle
192
(summer)
raison d'etre of a cicada:
sex
that's it
193
(spring)
Townsend's warblers
add themselves
to the meeting agenda
194
(tanka)
warm wind and moonlight
on the catwalk
in officers' country
Marine Corps Hueys
bring in the dead
195
(tanka)
five Hueys,
like Blue Angels in tight formation,
touch down--
Princeton's Air Officer
pops a vein
196
(tanka)
healthy Marines
are now
a 2-inch stack of paper
my longest watch
in Main Comm
197
(tanka)
on the flight deck,
a shirtless Viet Cong
is leashed like a dog
is this war
really necessary?
198
(senryu)
Hamburger Hill
70 home towns
are down one
199
(winter)
blinding light, then clouds--
same sunrise
different day
200
(tanka)
a goofy kid
is bragging in the wardroom
we burst out laughing
at his tale of daring-do
in a week, dead himself
March 5, 2006
201
(winter)
as far as the east
is from the west
cobblestone clouds
202
(winter)
cold and clear
a fingernail clipping
for a moon
203
(winter)
against nature
opossum goes for a stroll
at noon
204
(senryu)
the domino theory
the last domino to fall:
the theory
205
(senryu)
my losing team--
a pin not worn in three years:
No Iraq War
206
(senryu)
offloading the wounded
the lucky ones
are still able to scream
207
(senryu)
translated from the Latin:
how sweet it is
to die for a theory
208
(senryu)
midwatch detail
a neat row of body bags
welcome home
209
(winter)
home, after a glum day
yellow crocuses
are breaking ground
210
(winter)
entering the third trimester
of winter--
cherry blossoms
March 12, 2006
211
(tanka)
fog fingers hide
the high valleys
of Coburg Ridge
firs on Spencer Butte
glisten with snow
212
(winter)
restless ducks
fly south
fly north
213
(tanka)
a small gap
in the clouds:
sunlight spotlight
hawk is on the ground
wrestling with a mouse
214
(winter)
not one leaf
in the dead oak forest
silence
215
(winter)
blight-death:
oak zombies
refuse to fall
216
(winter)
at the end
of the cloud continent,
an ocean of sky
217
(winter)
cloud coastlines drift
from east to west
peekaboo sun
218
(winter)
peekaboo sun
shadows come out for recess
go back to class
219
(winter)
winter's end
still standing:
yesterday's snow man
220
(winter)
quiet dawn
nesting mallards pair up,
husband and wife
March 19, 2006
221
(winter)
lingering regrets--
in my rearview mirror,
a peach sunset
222
(tanka)
suddenly
a gnat-swarm of ducks
fills the sky
at peace,
I am doing non-doing
223
(senryu)
running laps
in the South China Sea
time-out from the war
224
(winter)
daffadils
in a hillside pasture
unstoppable spring
225
(winter)
sipping coffee
green trees and white stumplands
in the foothills
226
(winter)
for no good reason,
it's sunny and hot
cabin fever
227
(winter)
woodstove smoke;
otherwise,
stillness
228
(senryu)
stillness
without attachments,
the oneness of dualism
229
(winter)
happy heart
the deafening roar
of a frogpond
230
(spring)
rustoleum buds
on every sidewalk tree
spring
March 26, 2006
231
(senryu)
unhappy birthday
the war in Iraq
turns three today
232
(tanka)
bending in his chair,
the homeless vet
is writing on cardboard
the stores are full
of shoppers
233
(summer)
ant-like plane-pushers
converge on the Hueys
the smell of AvGas
234
(senryu)
DD-214
I am shunned
for serving
235
(summer)
Cam Ranh Bay
all hands in dress whites
for the new C.O.
236
(tanka)
America wonders...
is he the last
to know?
words on the teleprompter,
stay the course
237
(senryu)
enroute to combat
for the first time;
fear is my shadow
238
(summer)
a warm tropical breeze--
from Quang Tri Province,
soft thumping noises
239
(senryu)
casualties
the surgical team
sets priorities
240
(tanka)
phosphorous flares
illuminate those
about to die
Huey gunships
are pissing bullets
April 23, 2006
241
(spring)
dark coral tulips
our quiet conversation
in the garden
242
(spring)
pulling up weeds
a roused ladybug
staggers like a drunk
243
(tanka)
our new home
even here, small children play
in the street
nothing has changed
nothing is the same
244
(spring)
spring
this yellow tulip
communion cup
245
(spring)
curb appeal--
dried-blood maple leaves
and April greens
246
(spring)
street twilight
children of all ages play
into the night
247
(spring)
multi-tasking
muttering one-breath lines
while pulling weeds
248
(tanka)
cookie sales-girl
she will be my age
in 2062
out of words
out of time
249
(spring)
cloudless sky
the fragrance of turned soil
and lilacs
250
(tanka)
knowledge
is the beginning and direction
of action
delicate fingers spill
perfumed hair
April 30, 2006
251
(spring)
looking up:
a moonlit cloud river,
riparian stars
252
(tanka)
day's end
in the western hills
it doesn't matter
which road I take,
I'm going home
253
(spring)
on the front porch,
before sleep...
one last look at the stars
254
(spring)
full sun
the first sailboats
on Fern Ridge Lake
255
(spring)
taking down
the American flag
stars!
256
(spring)
after Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde,
I step outside--
frogs
257
(summer)
night winds
ruffle the lake
moon shards
258
(summer)
breakfast on the patio--
filling my lungs
with ponderosa
259
(spring)
Oregon spring
our young dogwood's
first flowers
260
(spring)
dry Oregon heat
the odor of cut grass
is on the wind
May 7, 2006
261
(spring)
spooked frogs are suddenly mute...
the tick-a-tick
of the night train
262
(autumn)
waking from a dream
I do not want to end
the west wind
263
(spring)
star gazing--
the white noise
of highway 126
264
(spring)
a distant trucker
pops the clutch
stars, clouds, and the quarter moon
265
(spring)
driving by the lake at dawn
always beautiful,
never the same
266
(spring)
planting a new tree:
four hands pat down the compost
commitment
267
(spring)
cold rain all day
a refreshing change
from perfect weather
268
(tanka)
Dad's picture--
have I been
a disappointment?
too late for questions
and answers
269
(spring)
wintry day in May
woodstove smoke drifts to the west,
clouds to the east
270
(tanka)
fifty years ago
my mother's friend,
a Zen scholar,
asked for a dialog...
I'm ready now
May 14, 2006
271
(tanka)
the open hand
of the dogwood flower
is now a brown fist
an elderly couple
eats in silence
272
(spring)
gold sky
the hills
darken
273
(tanka)
all the toys
and children
are put away
clearing the street
at day's end
274
(spring)
merlot peonies
from Grandma's house
midwestern values
275
(senryu)
hard drinking--
fault finding gets easier
sleepless child
276
(spring)
urgent clouds...
tall firs in the bright sun;
sundown everywhere else
277
(spring)
before bed,
Evening Prayer for all my plants
chattering jays
278
(tanka)
reading haiku
in the Japanese Gardens...
looking up:
attentive adults,
puzzled children
279
(tanka)
bookmark
in a classic novel
never finished--
the last day
I saw my friend
280
(spring)
kayaker at rest
roosting on the cattails,
red-wing blackbirds
May 21, 2006
281
(tanka)
what is my aim in life?
what is the aim of a snowflake?
to melt
but first it covers
its world in white
282
(tanka)
his love for her
would last forever
no doubt he meant it
on the date
of the postmark
283
(tanka)
soft voices
occasional laughter
the daughters sort her goods
the recycle bin
gets the love letters
284
(spring)
no respect--
two furious little birds
send a hawk packing
285
(spring)
Milepost 51
six hawks are rotating
in a tight circle
286
(summer)
at my bedside,
a loud mockingbird
celebrates diversity
287
(tanka)
the long-legged girl
with the low-cut blouse
uses her lovely eyes
to flirt with the boy
and copy his answer
288
(spring)
rain clouds:
a network
of blackened salmon skins
289
(tanka)
the world of work...
a slow winding river
on a featureless plain
I remember nothing;
nothing remembers me
290
(senryu)
job search--
a character actor,
never a star
May 28, 2006
291
(tanka)
if my work survives
centuries from now,
publishers will add
this biography:
nothing is known of him
292
(tanka)
I put down my pen
to watch the birds
swallows criss-cross the street
hour after hour because...
I have no idea
293
(tanka)
spinning the tumblers
of my middle school locker
spinning, spinning...
the hand remembers
the combination
294
(tanka)
laid off--
checking the job postings
e-mailing my cardboard sign:
will document software
for food
295
(tanka)
Kalaloch Lodge
the bearded mountain
flexes his enormous triceps,
then wrestles
with the many-armed sea
296
(tanka)
the girl on a scooter
goes up the street
down the street
I write the line
rewrite the line
297
(tanka)
losing patience
with his dead owner,
the gyrfalcon flies off
the sickening smell
of rotting soldiers
298
(tanka)
fishers and farmers
stayed home,
while poets went abroad
which court
will be my destiny?
299
(tanka)
the delicate bow
lovingly strokes the strings
of the cello
sweet parting
is infinitely sad
300
(spring)
double rainbow
upside-down mountains
on the pristine lake
June 4, 2006
301
(spring)
dark afternoon
the tension and release
of humidity and rain
302
(spring)
entering June...
the intersecting arcs
of spring and summer
303
(spring)
leaving college
just ahead,
Gas Food Lodging
304
(spring)
warm June night
swallows fly ceaselessly
from here to here
305
(tanka)
slowing down time
for the good events
if only
the time we waste
thinking about time
306
(tanka)
my life-changing event,
little noticed
at the time,
is now
a thousand-piece puzzle
307
(spring)
cool overcast
looking for that word
hiding in the Douglas firs
308
(senryu)
research outcome:
poetry has no effect
on orange cats
309
(senryu)
at the workshop,
is haiku all you got?
plum blossom
310
(tanka)
the boy who came
to be my father
kissed her cheek
what did my face look like
before that happened?
June 11, 2006
311
(tanka)
alone with my thoughts...
what is the color
of solitude?
except for the swallows,
my world is motionless
312
(tanka)
grasshopper-green leaves
on the young maple
are absolutely still
the utter lack of wind
clears the mind
313
(tanka)
it is noon
in the nation that took
my outsourced job
the cool night breeze
comforts me
314
(tanka)
sepia grass
penetrates the surface
of the white lake
the illusion of islands:
all hair and no skull
315
(tanka)
we the species
of genus 1960
have evolved...
our promises
of lasting friendship
316
(tanka)
you will always be
fifteen to me;
that's the way I like it
if I call your name,
don't come
317
(tanka)
yes/no decisions:
remembering yes,
imagining no as a yes...
wondering about
my unremembered life
318
(tanka)
for an instant,
I am a child in L.A.
once again...
rarely heard in Oregon,
the cooing of a dove
319
(tanka)
carefree children
play in the street
how I envy them
will I have enough
for retirement?
320
(tanka)
fat faces
were flushed and shiny
from good-natured folly
as they cursed and cheered
the giant screen
June 18, 2006
321
(spring)
evening coolness
rummaging through my garden
for unwritten haiku
322
(spring)
a month without rain
frogs
disappear
323
(summer)
in the garage,
this un-Oregonlike humidity
spring cleaning
324
(tanka)
war--
no visible foe
no battle lines
no inner hate
no reason why
325
(tanka)
poets go on
and on
about love
better to write it on the skin
with fingertips
326
(tanka)
my flesh crawls
to hear
but not to see--
the menacing wingbeat
of an owl
327
(spring)
warm like August,
wet like February
summer solstice
328
(tanka)
the silent hawk
lifts the startled mouse
off the prairie
not every death
is a carnival ride
329
(spring)
powder blue sky,
emerald trees, beige pasturelands
Flag Day
330
(tanka)
bumblebees
hover about the flowers
hour after hour
to work is to live;
to live is to work
June 25, 2006
331
(spring)
raspberry pink flowers
on the rim
of a lush green lawn
332
(tanka)
Dad says,
divorce does not
pencil out
pouring failure
through the money filter
333
(tanka)
in our family,
Mother, Inc., owns
all the bandwidth
weighing strategies
to outfox peevishness
334
(tanka)
crisp contrast
between light and shadows
on the Coast Range
how sad it would be
to leave Oregon
335
(tanka)
wetlands soil--
inches above
inches below
the waterline
as far as the eye can see
336
(summer)
late afternoon...
the breasts and cleavages
of the Coast Range
337
(tanka)
Mother wakes up
disoriented
until she visualizes
the face
of her enemy
338
(summer)
summer
spreading its misery,
grass pollen
339
(summer)
scorching weekend
on the back of my neck,
reptilian skin
340
(tanka)
re-reading Beowulf
better to avenge
than indulge in mourning
a smudge of newsprint
from the New York Times
July 2, 2006
341
(summer)
the hard-breathing trout
explaining death
to a child
342
(tanka)
turning the pages
of my writing notebook,
I am mindful
how easy it is
to write bad poetry
343
(summer)
sharing the stalk
of the meadow sage,
bee and dragonfly
344
(tanka)
this memory...
not unlike the pinky bone
of some old saint
where does fact end
and myth begin?
345
(summer)
summer
the black and blue meadow sage;
small brown dragonflies
346
(tanka)
reconstructing
vivid dream imagery
for the psychiatrist...
adding logical stuff
so it all makes sense
347
(summer)
a windbreak of poplars
and the flickering sun...
first harvest
348
(tanka)
despite the death
of his mate, the swan returns
this year
no less serene--
is she with him still?
349
(senryu)
brittle wishbone
divorce is never
an even break
350
(tanka)
unchallenged
by city lights,
a tsunami of stars
washes over
the world
July 9, 2006
351
(summer)
my gardenias
by the front door
home at last
352
(tanka)
passing Camp Roberts
and the smooth-sanded hills
of the Central Coast
looking west
to China
353
(summer)
allergies
versus the fragrant garden:
the forces of destiny
354
(tanka)
stressed out...
on the freeway, she can't decide
to head for home
or keep on going
all the way to Portland
355
(summer)
still around
after 300 million years--
the dragonfly
356
(tanka)
reading by the fire--
with evil intent,
the killer slips behind
the heroine;
a log collapses
357
(summer)
Cascade sunrise
your services are no longer required....
stars fade to blue
358
(tanka)
bird watchers
paddle through an archipelago
of marsh grass
the slow pace
of the Willamette Valley
359
(winter)
northbound train
leafless alders are framing
the strobe-lamp sun
360
(tanka)
Mother does not call
any more
I miss her reports
about the weather
in San Diego
July 16, 2006
361
(tanka)
connecting the dots
of known events
across white silences
of ruined chronicles
forever mute
362
(summer)
bales of hay are spaced
like a highway centerline
hot July sun
363
(summer)
emerald hills;
white sails on the lake;
the smell of a skunk
364
(tanka)
as I stooped
through the low portal of death,
I saw my human fate
emptied out
into a lethe
365
(tanka)
the loveliest things
are incredibly brief;
the loveliest things
happen only once;
years compress to minutes
366
(summer)
body surfing
the salt taste
of pure joy
367
(summer)
the endless summer
that ended long ago
skin cancer
368
(tanka)
her perfume
triggers a flashback
from my childhood;
for a instant,
blood takes the wheel
369
(tanka)
taking the cat
to the vet
for the last time
cloud cover
all day
370
(autumn)
first day of high school:
the cross country coach
shows us how to spit
July 23, 2006
371
(tanka)
at Garland Nursery--
stone Christian saints
and stone Buddhas
a young couple debates
which stone to buy
372
(summer)
temperatures rising
a peanut-sized hummingbird
visits the salvia
373
(summer)
heat wave
the heavy air whitens
the dark green hills
374
(tanka)
in the scorching heat,
cows, horses, and llamas
sit it out;
as is their habit,
sheep continue to graze
375
(tanka)
we watch our children
raise their children...
so many years--
did we forget
how hard it was?
376
(summer)
breakfast in the courtyard
the soft, pure notes
of the wind chime
377
(summer)
field burning
on the grass seed farms...
seeing the air you breathe
378
(tanka)
my first spoonful
of plump blueberries
and cold plain yogurt
long shadows
from the rising sun
379
(tanka)
as they walk in the park,
neither can find the words
to break it off...
is it better to be unloved
than lonely?
380
(summer)
the alpine lake
dreams the sky
sweet ponderosa
July 30, 2006
381
(tanka)
as I take a pee,
I read the rejection slips
on his bathroom wall
nothing impairs the aim
like laughter
382
(winter)
snow in Los Angeles...
skipping down the sidewalk
in my PJs
383
(winter)
Mother calls,
Time for school
I kick down my snowman
384
(tanka)
English professors
bitch about tenure
for a whole hour
in the Middle East,
there is a rapid separation of parts
385
(tanka)
should he wear
his flannel shirt
or Harris tweed?
looking for love
at the protest rally
386
(senryu)
our anniversary--
the way-back machine
pulls up to the door
387
(summer)
showing off,
she names the constellations...
what would I do without her?
388
(tanka)
effortlessly
the words fell into place
on the first draft,
just like the great sex
we read about in books
389
(tanka)
two angry drunks--
she dries out for good;
he likes things the way they are
changing the rules
in the middle of the game
390
(tanka)
Story Lady tells my life...
is she making it up
on the spot
to please the crowd
or has she always known?
August 6, 2006
391
(summer)
a gust of wind
lifts the lazy gull into the cloud
ocean spray
392
(tanka)
at my funeral,
I note that no one wails,
calling me back to life
clouds have no master;
they just drift off
393
(tanka)
mourning the dead,
graveyard guests are mostly glad
to be alive
death is seldom tragic,
but always inconvenient
394
(summer)
true love--
a toddler hugs the black lab
with the windshield-wiper tail
395
(tanka)
the never-ending sound
of death
dragging people apart;
the silent village
of ghosts
396
(tanka)
deep grasses choke
the broad path
we used to walk
our past is lost
in a seamless field of green
397
(summer)
an errant rain cloud
drops its load on a few acres...
almost home
398
(tanka)
just like that,
ten thousand forevers
are gone forever
my hard-fought words
go up in flames
399
(tanka)
on a diet
of empty mountains,
the poet starved to death
words bloom for a season,
then wither and die
400
(summer)
out of nothing,
the gnat swarm moves
into a shaft of sunlight
August 13, 2006
401
(summer)
peach-vanilla clouds
swirl down the sky drain
August sunset
402
(tanka)
small town Oregon
the world's great events
are far away
no thunderheads
just scraps of white clouds
403
(tanka)
gleaning crumbs
from the high table
of great poets...
another day
of sweeping up the shadows
404
(summer)
chattering leaves:
windblown trees glance warily
at skies promising rain
405
(tanka)
Queen Anne's Lace
and spent dandelions
quiver in the wind...
the sweet scent
of wetlands grasses
406
(tanka)
trout fishing--
gentle waves nudge the boat
drifting, drifting
the view of white mountains
is all I need
407
(summer)
high winds...
reminding me of the rich coat
of a spoiled cat--grasslands
408
(tanka)
we hoped that love
would fill our years
and memories...
now we wonder
if any of it was real
409
(tanka)
a waxing moon rises
in the indigo sky;
stars wait offstage...
the freezing wind
combs through my bones
410
(summer)
dogfighting swallows
tumble out of the sky
hazy mountains
September 10, 2006
411
(summer)
down, down
into the sunlit greens--
bright madrone bark
412
(tanka)
tonight
she climbs inside herself
and shuts the lid
your session has ended;
try again later
413
(tanka)
a confusion
of sunlight, needles, leaves,
pinks, greens,
and homesickness
outside my new front door
414
(summer)
September first...
red leaves double in number
by the end of day
415
(tanka)
glint of sun
off a jumbo jet
turning south
jet noise morphs
into chattering birds
416
(tanka)
holding a picture
of Dad who would be 90
today
his Mona Lisa gaze--
will I ever measure up?
417
(summer)
listening
to the rising sun...
hiss of traffic
418
(tanka)
deconstructing Dad...
the worm hole of his mind:
feelings bubbled up,
but rarely emerged
at the other end
419
(tanka)
again
I make a list
of slights and snubs
by those
now dead
420
(summer)
go...caution...stop
one week in the life
of a maple leaf
September 17, 2006
421
(summer)
a layer of grits
spreads across the sky
cold September morning
422
(tanka)
fall colors
are making their move;
green gives ground grudgingly...
someone squared the rhodies
with a hedge trimmer
423
(tanka)
our picnic lunch
by the water feature
of Building 25
Microsoft landscaping:
better than nature
424
(summer)
edging into fall
waking up to silver and gray
cloud pudding
425
(tanka)
replacing
the old growth
Douglas fir curvature
of the earth:
Pugetopolis
426
(tanka)
do you have
the dream or a recollection
of the dream?
do you have
the thing itself?
427
(summer)
the wiggly wand
of a vine maple branch--
leaves are trending pink
428
(tanka)
ignoring me,
my grandson lines up puzzle pieces
in a neat row
my heart aches when I think
of the road ahead
429
(tanka)
all around him,
people are stressed
to the breaking point
going nuclear against
the logic of autism
430
(summer)
clouds down to the deck...
missing the moon and stars
of West Lane County
December 3, 2006
431
(autumn)
wordless vigil...
her powerful grip
as she lies dying
432
(tanka)
my first sip of red wine
washes over the tongue
and brain
before nightfall,
a yellow sky
433
(tanka)
in the rib cage
of bare branches,
the setting sun
hovers
like a heart
434
(autumn)
November rain
her breathing improves
with the morphine drip
435
(tanka)
snow in Seattle:
the whole city lies down
on the fainting couch...
roads from hell
and schadenfreude
436
(tanka)
vapors rise
from the frigid lake
Green Mountain
has a growth of clouds
mist is falling
437
(autumn)
today's first sun
is the setting sun
snow begins to fall
438
(tanka)
the sanctity
of her time,
her place
unclaimed souvenirs
go into the trash
439
(tanka)
on each person's lips,
a funny story,
none the same
after surgery she asks,
"How's my hair?"
440
(winter)
no sun
for the indoor plants
winter gloom
December 10, 2006
441
(autumn)
home alone...
the soft-chiming clock
breaks the silence
442
(tanka)
a respectful bow
a polite good-by
no tears
I was once
someone's little boy
443
(tanka)
his game plan: to be
the smartest guy in the room,
always
we never talk--
we have debates
444
(winter)
leaning into the wind...
boots are crunching bootprints
in the brittle snow
445
(tanka)
talking in Morse Code
to strangers around the world--
how that pleases him!
I am cautioned
not to interrupt
446
(tanka)
Iraq Study Group:
elder statesmen
wrestle
with His Petulancy
over the car keys
447
(winter)
bitter snowstorm...
strangers become friends
for a day
448
(tanka)
in order to fall,
some dead leaves need intervention
by the wind...
escorting the boss
out of the building
449
(tanka)
recently
I promised to comfort you
in your old age
and now
we are there
450
(autumn)
icy winds
the young alder catches
a maple leaf
December 24, 2006
451
(autumn)
eyes shut:
turning up the volume
of the river
452
(tanka)
in a quiet corner
at the Christmas party
with nothing to say...
desultory words are slouching
toward an image
453
(tanka)
moral clarity--
soldiers die for reasons
no longer operable...
no one likes the president
any more
454
(senryu)
introductions...
my name is Turkish,
just like me!
455
(tanka)
wedged in the narrow slit
between earth and clouds,
the rising sun
paints gold leaf
on a black sky
456
(tanka)
golden spoke-rays
hold up the clouds,
bloated with moisture,
for just an instant...
and now, the rain
457
(autumn)
windstorm--
a million homes without power...
low-tech haiku
458
(tanka)
at the appointed time,
fate draws me
to a new job site:
after forty Christmases,
this strange place...
459
(tanka)
first bouquet--
wild daisies from the lot next door
and parsley from the fridge...
today's bouquet--
roses from Safeway
460
(autumn)
power outage...
seagulls go about
their business
December 31, 2006
461
(winter)
autumn yields to winter--
even so, the haiku way
eludes me
462
(tanka)
tanka world:
rubbing sweet sounds together
gets me nowhere...
moonlight is falling
on the empty half of the bed
463
(tanka)
ripples
of concentric love interlace
on the existential pond...
as it was before,
the lake is calm
464
(spring)
wolf marks his territory
all the world
is weary of peace
465
(tanka)
perturbations connect
the opposing flat lines
of birth
and death...
your mileage may vary
466
(tanka)
the master-builder
wears herself out
fixing her hair
look on my works, ye mighty,
and despair
467
(winter)
fresh snow
blood clouds
in the eastern sky
468
(tanka)
longing
for skeletal woods
to rise from the dead
and hide the bones
with flesh again
469
(tanka)
these cheap roses
are bowing their heads
all too soon
things did not turn out
the way we wanted
470
(winter)
howling winds...
the odor and flicker
of a struck match
January 14, 2007
471
(winter)
snow--
driving through white fear...
ringtone anxiety
472
(tanka)
maple trees get a makeover:
snow makes them
drop-dead gorgeous
every step I take
is a conscious act
473
(tanka)
sunrise
mountains are as black and white
as an Ansel Adams print...
the ticking sound
of a chained-up bus
474
(winter)
south wind--
snowdrifts within the squares
of a chain-link fence
475
(tanka)
except for one,
each Cascade peak has snow
and outcroppings of rock
the whiteness of Mt. Baker
is without blemish
476
(tanka)
five inches of snow...
oddly, I see tracks of a bike
on the bike trail
are you finding food,
little sparrow?
477
(winter)
snow is falling
on ashen streets...
dread of driving
478
(tanka)
transfiguration:
after the ice storm,
good-for-nothing
deciduous trees become
church windows
479
(tanka)
through the darkening woods,
the evening sky
is the color of sand
an e-mail from a friend
comforts me
480
(winter)
dawn:
white land, empty sky...
I pull down my knit cap
January 21, 2007
481
(senryu)
a folded flag...
I hold the facts
in my fist
482
(tanka)
lovers do not live
in time...
coitus, and then
a shift in focus:
the clock starts
483
(tanka)
telephone poles
stride backwards and disappear
behind me
motion and rest--
what is the point?
484
(winter)
floating away
on an orchid raft...
winter dreams
485
(tanka)
Baghdad...
birds build their nests
in smashed houses
it's the migration season
for people
486
(tanka)
after curfew,
men in ski masks
visit the neighbors
rib-thin dogs
hunt for food
487
(winter)
winter
the many colors of the rainbow,
each of them white
488
(tanka)
spring in Baghdad...
soldiers plug bullet holes
with chocolates
nest-building birds
know nothing of God
489
(tanka)
suicide video--
her last wish is for
the continuation
of hatred...
changing the channel
490
(summer)
smog...
the tumescent moon
is Mandarin orange
January 28, 2007
491
(spring)
rain, and now
the sun ignites the flowers...
dripping fuchsia bells
492
(tanka)
family reunion...
we check our sarcasm
at the door
borrowing silence
from the snow
493
(tanka)
we giggle more at him
than the joke he tells
each year...
my squinting heart
measures out the joy
494
(winter)
lazybeds Sunday--
the blackbirds play
musical branches
495
(tanka)
pleasure--
replicating the event,
but not the surprise
I run around the playground
pretending to be a plane
496
(tanka)
we are
and then we are
what others think we are
this is not the moment
to say good-by
497
(autumn)
redgold salmon
wink their tails...
Indian summer
498
(tanka)
gale-force winds
comb through the tall firs
and maple-grove cowlicks...
no more storms
for Oregon's tallest spruce
499
(tanka)
harsh sunlight
in the deciduous thicket
outside my window
I lower my eyes
to the empty text box
500
(winter)
winter blues...
searching for an old pal: gone,
like a lost hub cap
February 18, 2007
501
(summer)
respite from the heat...
moths butt their heads
on the porch bulb
502
(tanka)
the end of life
returns the hurt
of life's beginning
there is no special meaning--
today, tomorrow
503
(tanka)
waiting, waiting
for a single flash of genius
and when it comes
I am busy
writing a poem
504
(winter)
I stir the mind-ash,
searching for a word
winter gloom
505
(tanka)
viewing
the far truths of the universe
through cloud scum
who was born?
who died?
February 25, 2007
506
(tanka)
coming to terms
with the heaviness
of matter
tomorrow
is Ash Wednesday
507
(winter)
first sip of rich coffee...
under a rain cloud
1,000 miles wide
508
(tanka)
without a thought
I float on the rising
and falling tide...
my ebb and flow
without a thought
509
(tanka)
the pounding surf...
why does it matter now
after 40 years?
bleached stones against
the bleached sky
510
(winter)
stepping though
the dregs of winter
rain without a rainbow
March 4, 2007
511
(winter)
shut in by the snow...
rummaging through notebooks
to find my voice
512
(tanka)
no longer
forward-leaning warfighters,
the wounded
are deleted
from the present tense
513
(tanka)
after an hour,
I can't commit to an image
or season word...
struggling with a new pattern,
you count your stitches
514
(summer)
half-court basketball--
white boys are talkin' trash...
barbecue breeze
515
(tanka)
sing-song voices:
children conjugate the verb
"to die"
who is cleansed
by ethnic cleansing?
March 11, 2007
516
(tanka)
the seasons--
white yin and green yang
do not contend...
taking turns
being the boss
517
(summer)
a copper sun
and good wine...
no one to share it with
518
(tanka)
green twitchings:
scattered raindrops
plink the leaves
one year,
one deep breath
519
(tanka)
on the hilltop,
a cedar-grove clipper ship
is leaving
for the farthest port
of my imagination
520
(spring)
red-breasted
worm rustlers...
stars wink out
March 18, 2007
521
(spring)
winter turns soft...
listen to the mild:
loudmouth jays
522
(tanka)
now what?
the neverending sound of death
dragging people apart...
the cold stream sculpts
all stones smooth
523
(tanka)
pressing my nose
into a basket of sheets
from the clothesline...
over the sink,
Mother sings a tune
524
(summer)
wooden clothespins...
bringing the Pacific wind
into the house
525
(tanka)
Iraq War,
my, how you have grown...
look at you:
such a big boy
and so strong!
April 1, 2007
526
(tanka)
weary from reading,
I turn off the light
and sit in the dark
striving and yielding,
gathering and scattering
527
(spring)
intentionally
doing nothing
ah, daffodils!
528
(tanka)
running afoul
of the idleness police
on Saturday
rising early
for no good reason
529
(tanka)
there is no instance
of clarity
when grief tears the heart
we kept his voice--
"Please leave a message at the tone."
530
(spring)
sun-glint...
now operating on Mountain Time:
yesterday's storm
April 8, 2007
531
(summer)
summer heat
coming all this distance to find
nothing but distance
532
(tanka)
thousands of skycaps
are portering ideas from this age
to the next...
one traveler
thinks for himself
533
(tanka)
two cities
at opposite ends
of a long lake
lovers sip the cup
of all the world's illusions
534
(spring)
lambing season...
behind Marys Peak,
daylight burns out
535
(tanka)
soldiers die
or win acclaim,
but over time
it's all the same...
oblivion shrugs
April 15, 2007
536
(tanka)
the mountain and I
sit together until
the sun goes down
the grocery clerk asks,
"How's your day going?"
537
(spring)
city park...
the rotting cedar fence
of the first white settler
538
(tanka)
tall firs die young
I am a useless
and ugly tree
without a worry
in the world
539
(tanka)
pointing out
a fat robin to my grandson
has no effect
he traces the letter A
in the sawdust trail
540
(autumn)
maples scatter
their broadleaf files
memories begin to rot
April 22, 2007
541
(spring)
loon
the long wait...
loon
542
(tanka)
moon sliver
and evening star
prepare to leave
what good is knowledge
against the twilight?
543
(tanka)
waking up
to the first nudge
of pain...
great unweavings begin
with one loose thread
544
(summer)
Taps...
the widow folds her life
and puts it away
545
(tanka)
walking away
from the laugh track
into the twilit park,
into the noise-cone
of a brood of cicadas
April 29, 2007
546
(tanka)
downstream
the waters I am straddling
enlarge to a river in flood
at what age does cute
become annoying?
547
(summer)
rags of mist
hang from the cliffs
the steelheader swings a fly
548
(tanka)
a brief war story:
as long as it takes to smoke
a Lucky Strike...
the old petty officer
extinguishes his fire
549
(tanka)
as I cut and splice
a few salient vignettes,
the rest of my life
spools out
on the cutting room floor
550
(spring)
April moon rising
mountains recede
into darkness
May 20, 2007
551
(winter)
snow-silvered trees
lavender skies chill
to indigo
552
(tanka)
leaning against
the earth's axis:
cloud ladder...
a Great Blue Heron
clatters into the reeds
553
(tanka)
searching
for the precise meaning
of words in English
time passes...
my books grow old with me
554
(summer)
apricot sunset
an unexpected tug
of regret
555
(tanka)
townhouses in a row:
brick, taupe, cream, and mocha...
warm colors
in the cool kaleidoscope
of sun and snow
May 27, 2007
556
(tanka)
lilies
neither toil nor spin
we come in
go out
with nothing
557
(spring)
falling barometer
incoming clouds
sag to earth
558
(tanka)
the sunless sky
trades its feathery mist
for twisting steam
rising
out of the pasture thaw
559
(tanka)
a meteor flared and fell
on a starry night
now fifty summers dead
for the lingering light,
I give you thanks
560
(spring)
rain...
as usual,
a gun-metal sky
June 3, 2007
561
(summer)
sunset
and a splash of red wine...
how I admire the color pink!
562
(tanka)
the doctor said
her surgery went
as planned
Mother's Day
without Mom
563
(tanka)
I hold the vest
I gave to him for Christmas,
the one he mocked
and never wore--
feeling the heat in my face
564
(summer)
Scenic View--
red on twilight orange
where the blood syllables fly
565
(tanka)
during downtime,
I try my best
to look professional
as I stitch
my little poems
June 10, 2007
566
(tanka)
amid the dunes,
rain water fills a boat
contrary to design
an elderly woman
babysits her mother
567
(spring)
worry walk...
with every nerve ablaze,
cold-surf memory wipe
568
(tanka)
the eagle-faced gargoyle
spits a swallow
into a tree
Seattle's skies
are sparrow gray
569
(tanka)
breath-sucker is late
for an appointment
on Storm King Mountain
no time!
no time to stop for a rest
570
(spring)
mixing-bowl weather
light from the perishing sun
lifts the clouds
June 17, 2007
571
(spring)
white noise
of the city...
grande coffee, no room
572
(tanka)
latte carts deploy;
pigeons scatter,
regroup
earthlings are powerless
to resist
573
(tanka)
cigars evoke the Coliseum
and you;
together
we loved the game...
I miss the stench
574
(spring)
rain
first sidewalk slime
for baby slugs
575
(tanka)
she rings the bell,
but no one comes
for prayers
when she is gone,
grass will eat the church
July 22, 2007
576
(tanka)
Goldsmith Park--
Indian mothers in saris
sit and chat...
hip-hop children
giggle in English
577
(summer)
wind-jiggered sunlight
a tunnel of leaves
yellow and green
578
(tanka)
the oboeist
is tuning up the players...
her note:
where does it come from?
where does it go?
579
(tanka)
after three days
of revisions,
I click Delete
clouds drift off;
the sky is empty
580
(winter)
against my will,
my dream is fraying...
black is the absence of light
July 29, 2007
581
(summer)
death in August
the moon in the water
keeps me company
582
(tanka)
wild rhododendrons
off Highway 1
shimmer in the summer wind
pink blossoms
are just a memory
583
(tanka)
turning 65
even if I wished it so
with all my heart,
desiccate red and yellow
will not revert to green
584
(senryu)
lousy techno-thriller:
just when you least expect it,
nothing happens
585
(tanka)
who cares
if long ago and far away
he dropped the ball?
of all regrets,
this is the most persistent
August 5, 2007
586
(tanka)
when emphysema
began to steal across your face,
I reminded you
how you defended
the tobacco companies
587
(winter)
the waterfall slows
to icy silence...
no family ever comes
588
(tanka)
I never thought
of golden grass
or barren hills
or dusty roads
before the dozers carved the land
589
(tanka)
winners clamber
to the summit and celebrate
the highest of highs
losers watch in silence
from the lodge
590
(senryu)
first love...
our ways part
forever
August 12, 2007
591
(autumn)
diablo wind
not one leaf remains
the way it was
592
(tanka)
moving
from one unknowable
to another...
I do not ask
for directions
593
(tanka)
out, out...
but like the banished fog,
she comes again
at night
along the dream road
594
(summer)
hot bare bulb:
two moths race to die
full moon rising
595
(tanka)
her dream
was so intense
before the dawn...
if only for a moment,
love was sure
August 19, 2007
596
(tanka)
the poor
are here, there, everywhere,
yet scarcely noticed...
a run of hard luck:
friends are false or true
597
(summer)
dark redwoods,
slant sunbeams
the sound of emptiness
598
(tanka)
ragged black clouds
feather downward,
diminishing the white sky
the world
orders itself
599
(tanka)
tributaries
empty out their names
in me
eternal return
is what we call life
600
(summer)
too lazy to fly,
blackbird hops between cars
triple digit heat
August 26, 2007
601
(summer)
in their last spring,
lambs play in the field...
pollen on the wind
602
(tanka)
blackbird rises
to the treeline like an ash
in the wind
salmon-pink leaves:
can trees be happy?
603
(tanka)
offloading the wounded:
the lucky ones
are able to scream
how sweet it is
to die for a theory
604
(summer)
pine-filtered light
the running stream
is ice cold
605
(tanka)
empty
and quiet--
putting away Christmas
snow is falling
on ashen streets
606
(tanka)
ground-level clouds
slide through the trees
at the speed of a slug
kick-start coffee:
nothing to do but write
607
(summer)
replaying an argument...
a deep contrail scratch
in cirrus clouds
608
(tanka)
jade foothills
in the cloud shadows--
a logger's rough stubble
of Douglas fir
straddles two counties
609
(tanka)
sky of Dresden blue;
moon as white
as a bowl of cream...
Holstein dots populate
rumpled-green pastures
610
(senryu)
hard times
are black and white...
her dust-bowl face
September 9, 2007
611
(summer)
the sun behind me...
bare parched hills,
deerskin brown
612
(tanka)
rising
to the oak patina
of the Santa Lucia Mountains,
deerskin hills...
my heart is full
613
(tanka)
looking down,
two hawks turn
in tandem
the scent
of pines
614
(summer)
sun and light wind...
birds eat the french fries
when diners leave
615
(tanka)
walking
hand in hand
on the beach...
is the tide
moving in or out?
September 16, 2007
616
(tanka)
stepping through
the pines of Cambria,
I hear the white noise
of unseen waves,
plus family gossip
617
(autumn)
first frost
scattering his ashes
at the golf course
618
(tanka)
dream murmurs:
the idea of the holy...
ghost grass
is billowing;
there is no wind
619
(tanka)
baby is dead...
while he is staring
into the street,
she feels her breasts
filling with milk
620
(spring)
wind is whistling
over the meadow...
buttercups
September 23, 2007
621
(autumn)
washing away
all the heroes of history
moon in the flood
622
(tanka)
clicking Send--
she is the last
of my parents' generation
gone are the trees
I used to climb
623
(tanka)
a broken TV
and a print of "The Gleaners"
in every room
the Perseid Meteor Shower:
all is right with the world
624
(autumn)
corn stubble
as far as the eye can see...
a long V of geese
625
(tanka)
fish blow bubbles
where the ruined bridge lies
emergency ferries
cross the strait
autism
September 30, 2007
626
(tanka)
my boss is a gracious guest
in my cubicle;
as host, I am pleased
to do my best:
we both get what we want
627
(winter)
burial in winter
getting used
to the evening hush
628
(tanka)
results destroy
the worst manager...
until that day,
how many broken lives
will litter the shop floor?
629
(tanka)
when I think of love,
I cherish most the memory
of the promise
of love's fulfillment,
more than love itself
630
(autumn)
warm drizzle
cloud puffs graze
on the char hills
October 6, 2007
631
(autumn)
rain plucks the roof vent
waking up this morning
to white eyebrows
632
(tanka)
playing "workup"
on a darkening street
long ago
nighttime:
mother calls me home
633
(tanka)
the time salesman
takes my offer
to the sales manager
seeing friends off,
being seen off
634
(senryu)
my son's son:
his eyes are blue planets...
he sings a song I taught his father
635
(tanka)
the odor
only a five year old can love:
asphalt
before there were orgasms,
there was a steamroller
December 9, 2007
636
(tanka)
facing Subic Bay,
we click our bottles of San Miguel
and laugh
at the question:
Is this war necessary?
637
(spring)
sprinkers go off
during the hard rain
end of an affair
638
(tanka)
saving face--
draftees died then;
volunteers die now
ripples run red
in the sunset
639
(tanka)
the mind knows
reflections
in the water
truth is a friend
of a friend
640
(winter)
joint ache...
slippery moss
in the freezing mist
December 16, 2007
641
(summer)
summer wind
gills of the willow
are breathing
642
(tanka)
third deployment:
tears
cannot be numbered
the nation goes
about its business
643
(tanka)
high above the hero's head,
the falcon floats
above the field,
then flees
to a ragged rim of rock
644
(senryu)
blood for oil...
soldiers of fortune seek
the genitals of the world
645
(tanka)
I am one of eight
in the lead pack...
concentrate:
rhythmic breathing,
rhythmic stride
December 30, 2007
646
(tanka)
he was busy
balancing the books
on the day
the rest of us watched
a solar eclipse
647
(winter)
New Year's Day
jogging without a watch,
I listen to my body
648
(tanka)
rivulets
in an orchard of sticks;
applause of heavy rain...
sun and blossoms
are months away
649
(tanka)
cart and plow
do not stop
for a dying man
oh, to be the myth
and live forever!
650
(winter)
writing haiku
with one eye on the bowl games
New Year's Day
January 6, 2008
651
(spring)
her private Florida...
my pregnant daughter waits
for the day and hour
652
(tanka)
unsettled by something,
squawking seagulls
going nowhere
weave in and out
in a tight formation
653
(tanka)
she took him at his word
until Eyewitness News
found his penis
in no-one-else's
phone records
654
(senryu)
in the shadow
of a blade of grass,
I post my poems
655
(tanka)
brown maple leaves
hang on the bush;
unhurried winter
takes its sweet time
to bury the dead
January 13, 2008
656
(tanka)
we broke up
fifty years ago...
I wonder
where you are today,
on your birthday
657
(winter)
naked trees
on the gold sky
my glass of gold chardonnet
658
(tanka)
the flight attendant quipped,
As you can tell,
our plane has landed....
I was stunned by the blast
of nervous laughter
659
(tanka)
passages
from tarn to tide:
postambles
to old transformations,
preambles to new
660
(winter)
joint ache
is my Reveille
sullen rain
January 20, 2008
661
(winter)
end of winter
buds are nipples
on the branch
662
(tanka)
creamy bark
of the white birch
papers over
dark secrets
of the heart
663
(tanka)
driving by the house
in which we lived
for thirty years...
is it okay
to feel nothing?
664
(summer)
smog
is a seasonal word
L.A. haiku
665
(tanka)
our dreams
are so intense
before the dawn,
before we cope
with light
January 27, 2008
666
(tanka)
how many years
have we traded back and forth
the last pitiful square
on the toilet paper roll?
tag, you're it!
667
(senryu)
Good morning!
co-workers with headphones
keep on typing
668
(tanka)
blackbird flutters up
to the highest branch
and fumbles
for a clawhold;
snow flutters down
669
(tanka)
to the east,
newscrawler clouds
scrape the Cascades
cold wind combs
through my bones
670
(winter)
freezing!
winter has a little strength--
just enough to die
February 3, 2008
671
(summer)
burning the grass stubble...
distant sailboats glide
on a mirror of red
672
(tanka)
these ivory horses
are utterly useless...
how unlike you
to buy something
for pure pleasure
673
(tanka)
she is the wind;
she cares for nothing...
he is the grass;
he cannot move
without her
674
(winter)
n days of rain
in my apartment,
I turn on all the lights
675
(tanka)
a physicist
from Cal Tech
smiles gleefully
as he explains
the End of Everything
February 10, 2008
676
(tanka)
robins, warblers
and goldfinches fight for turns
at the bird bath,
then scatter!
alpha squirrel takes a long drink
677
(autumn)
Mt. Hood
has a slant string of geese
for a waistband
678
(tanka)
southerly breezes
and forenoon heat--
cloud cutters;
the sky's skin
is peeling
679
(tanka)
the soft plap of paddles...
silent birders in canoes
pick their way
through the straits
of a grass archipelago
680
(autumn)
paired geese
leave for winter
lonesomeness
March 2, 2008
681
(summer)
50th Reunion
mountains move off
into darkness
682
(tanka)
in mother's
retirement community,
EMT vehicles
enter and leave
in silence
683
(tanka)
the heavy odor
of spring flowers;
the colors of fall...
we go inside
and shut the door
684
(autumn)
casting and reeling in...
over the lake,
the scent of burning wood
685
(tanka)
I dip my hands
into the lake
and bring the reflection
of the moon
to my lips
March 9, 2008
686
(tanka)
raven lowers
its shiny beak
into the water
in the trough
of a half hollow log
687
(spring)
the world changes
like the shape of clouds
an old friend is dead
688
(tanka)
brute beasts return
to the clear-running creek
now bone dry...
hands remember
the pressure of breasts
689
(tanka)
autumn's shadow
passes over winter
whoever is alone now
will be alone
for a long time
690
(spring)
your hand in mine
is the seed of a double-trunk tree
spring
March 23, 2008
691
(summer)
no crop this year...
gothic windows are bleared
by prairie rains
692
(tanka)
atop emptiness,
brazen sandstone...
without the humble hole
the arch
is just another ridge
693
(tanka)
the beach is bare;
the perishing sun
is lighting up
the bottom half
of thunderheads
694
(summer)
the gardener snips
summer-roasted rhodies...
bee-loud afternoon
695
(tanka)
the world depends
on you and me
to electify the night,
to cheer the globe
with love's outrageous light
March 30, 2008
696
(tanka)
according to plan,
writing starts
when thinking stops,
thinking stops
when writing starts
697
(summer)
the Way eludes
the snare of language
yellow moon
698
(tanka)
winds of the mind
erode the loose periphery;
tertiary facts
slip away
into forgetfulness
699
(tanka)
looking down
on the Valley of the Moon--
holstein dots populate
the rumpled green
of dairy farms
700
(senryu)
her photo-flash whiteness...
fatigue's garment
is the absence of color
April 6, 2008
701
(spring)
slender leaves push out
from the sticks of January
spring
702
(tanka)
I rummage through my box
of dead events
and find the first love
I have not touched
in years
703
(tanka)
if only for a moment
love was sure,
but sure enough
to live
beyond the stars
704
(spring)
greening up
the brown bones of winter
spring
705
(tanka)
as a rose unfolds itself,
there is always a time
when beauty
is most compelling:
for you, that time is now
April 13, 2008
706
(tanka)
autumn comes
with the twilight,
winter the night...
two lives devolve
in longing
707
(spring)
the goose's cry
sounds like barack to me
spring
708
(tanka)
a day-old moon
and the sun
rise in tandem
soiled clouds
drain to the west
709
(tanka)
love:
two sovereign rivers
follow the curve of the land
until they flow
into each other
710
(spring)
water whitenoise
heron's head jerks forward
at the end of each step
April 20, 2008
711
(summer)
Idaho reverie
the alpine lake is stocked
with clouds
712
(tanka)
suddenly
you are wrenched from me--
my hair is turning white
and I am slowing down;
for whom now will I grow old?
713
(tanka)
life narrows,
narrows to nothing,
and by your death I see
how the narrowing
works for me
714
(summer)
nightfall
cricket aria,
then the chorus
715
(tanka)
a brim blue river
dividing the barren snowscape
is the inside out
of heavenscape
with a cirrus river
May 4, 2008
716
(tanka)
looking for an address
in the noise and dust
of the industrial park,
I find a plot
of headstones
717
(haiku: winter)
cold winter rain...
I am lost in the foothills
of the learning curve
718
(tanka)
temperatures rising...
white tulips push through
the soil,
truckloads of bark
sweeten the air
719
(tanka)
divorce:
with nervous hands,
she folds unfolds
folds unfolds
her accordion skirt
720
(haiku: spring)
rain splatters
on the frozen pond
spring thaw