hazy moon

hazy moon
above and below
the moon bridge

ink-stained silk

ink-stained silk
I have banished you
from my thoughts
why do you
invade my dreams?

blue columbine

blue columbine
the freshly etched date
on her headstone

morning dew

morning dew--
in layered chiffon and pearls
grandma's burial dress
is the finest
she ever wore

A note

I have hit 800 virtually daily haiku, and I want to thank all of you, my friends, for your comments and kindness. I might have given up at some point without them. As a result of both of our constancy, I will be publishing a collection around year-end. Stay tuned...

Also, Alan hasn't posted the results to the contest page yet, but he notified the contestants by e-mail, and I was short-listed for the annual With Words Haiku Competition for this haiku:

pink dawn
the wingbeats of geese
returning

Thank you, Alan. And thank you all!

still summer night

still summer night
the taste of my daughter's sweat
as I kiss her brow

I waited

I waited in vain
for you last night
yet I heard
you calling me
in the wind

flower-laden grave

flower-laden grave
the goodbye
I never said

light slants

light slants through the clouds
we leave the cemetery
bearing her with us

solar eclipse

solar eclipse
grandma's white hair haloes
her repose

last shimmer

last shimmer
of light fades from the lake
grandma's passing

For AHL 1918 - 2009

last night

last night
we breathed in unison
missing you now
I cannot seem to catch
my breath at all

first peach

first peach
the child's rosy chin
dripping nectar

rain on windchimes

rain on windchimes
the sound
of your leaving

sleepless night

sleepless night
the din of worry and frogs
calling

roses wilting

roses wilting
lying here together
missing you still

news of a death

news of a death
even in the shade
the unforgiving sun

summer day

summer day
among the clouds
runs a wind horse

summer love

summer love
he gathers her a bouquet
of lightning bugs

jasmine twining

jasmine twining
the churchyard fence
a freshly heaped grave

this heat

this heat! sleeping naked under a naked moon

With a nod to Issa...

edge of morning

edge of morning
sun kissing the edge
of the earth

wildflowers

rutted service road
knee deep
in wildflowers

night sky

the night sky
raining stars
fireworks

Independence Day

homeless girl playing
with her unraveled hem
Independence Day

city bus

Rome flashing
across passengers' faces
city bus

heron

heron
wading into
the cloud

river baptism

rising
in a nimbus of midges
river baptism