HAIKU TO YOU TOO

2010-11-16T07:07:00.000-08:00

Dry leaf on the branch
Trembles in the wind and drops;
No effort needed.

FOUR THIRTY IN THE MORNING

2010-05-19T10:41:00.000-07:00

In the wee night hours
Car swishes in/out of darkness
As if never there.

GLG

2010-03-09T12:14:00.000-08:00

Twinkle in her eyes
Matches the sparkle of snow
Melting in the sun.

Full Moon on Cooper Lake

2009-12-02T11:37:00.000-08:00

Two moons and the lake--
One above and one below.
Mountains are watching.

2009-11-14T08:07:00.000-08:00

Perched above table
Kathryn sits like a fine bird
Devouring ideas.

2009-10-26T09:18:00.001-07:00

Raindrop slides off leaf;
Soft gray blue blanket of clouds.
My heart is breaking.

2009-07-12T18:03:00.000-07:00

Standing in the doorway
Dark silhouette of a man;
Fireflies glitter.

2009-05-17T09:45:00.000-07:00

Wind and water mix
In the stream next to my house,
Rushing and swollen.

2009-04-25T23:05:00.000-07:00

Very pale green light
Illuminates the fire house
Keeping it quite cool.

I compose haiku;
My cat sits on my papers.
Who is the poet?

Come and Gone so Soon?

2009-04-23T11:38:00.000-07:00

White dogwood flowers
Lie scattered on the green lawn--
Come and gone so soon?

Near Trailways Bus at 5:30 AM

2009-04-08T09:58:00.001-07:00

Birds sing in the dark;
It's just before sun rise.
What light do they see?

Lying on My Back--Falling

2009-04-08T09:56:00.000-07:00

At the edge of sleep
White fear rolls up silently
And envelopes me.

Lucy Sees the Mist

2009-04-08T09:54:00.000-07:00

Lucy sees the mist:
"It's a hundred ghosts hugging--
And they don't scare me."

Listen to the Wind

2009-04-02T12:34:00.000-07:00

I am getting so comfortable with the medium of haiku. There is not much room for fat in haiku. It's a lean form that forces me to get to the essence of things. As a writer, I love that. Up to now I have only written haiku about the outside world, the world of nature. That is the substance of my blog, "Yerry Hill Road Haiku" (www.sarvananda.blogspot.com). That has been the substance of this blog.

This time is different. As I lay in bed recently and listened to the wind whining outside my window I was transported to my room when I was eight years old. This is the haiku record of that journey.

The wind is whining

I’m eight lying in my bed.

Listen to the wind.

The shingles rattle;

Downstairs Daddy, Ma murmur;

Listen to the wind.

Is it crying now?

Is this the sound of dying?

I slide down in bed.

Why is it crying?

It’s in the house around me;

Will it be my friend?

I am all alone;

I cover my eyes and listen,

Listen to the wind.

Morning’s far away;

Now there’s just night and the moon

And the whining wind.

Shadows of tree limbs

Sway on the walls of my room;

I don’t like the creaks.

Is the floor creaking?

One small shadow is moving;

Is it a spider?

Time to close my eyes;

Time to pull the cover up;

Listen to the wind.

I am eight in bed

In my room below the roof

Near the whining wind.

I want it to speak,

But now it only whispers.

I want to fly it.

It’s soft and mewing

It moves around like a cat;

Listen to the wind.

I like when it whispers;

It carries voices with it,

Even Ma’s, Daddy’s.

It carries voices;

I try to understand them;

They will not let me.

I have to ride it

And fly out above the trees

Swooping and swirling.

Murmur, Ma’s murmur,

Daddy’s deeper murmur too

Mixing with the wind.

The wind is moaning;

I’m eight and lying in bed;

Listen to the wind.

2009-02-02T09:38:00.000-08:00

Peeking from the snow,
Watching the world rigidly
The dark dog statue.

2009-01-17T22:02:00.001-08:00

Now Stella's purring;
This morning she caught a mouse.
(Just doing her thing.)

2008-12-17T10:06:00.000-08:00

Just at the road's edge;
One deer eats, one sits, one looks--
Labor division.

New Haven Scenes

2008-10-03T09:25:00.000-07:00

Shadows on the barn
Absorbed in the dark window
Dance on the white wall.

Car's darkened window
Just a swinging cross is seen.
Cuts right from left lane.

Library main room--
Toddler screeches with delight;
Cares not for silence.

In the library
No cell phone talk is allowed.
She talks to her hands.

Dreams and Reveries

2008-09-19T03:32:00.000-07:00

A small chubby bird
Pulls at the Sunday section
To make newsy nest.

Train hoots in the night
Passing on its way somewhere,
Leaving a rumble.

New Haven Park

2008-09-17T16:21:00.000-07:00

Floating from hard rocks
Ghost dandelion puffs sprout
Gray ancient faces.

Next to its neighbor
No longer upright and tall:
The hollowed out stump.

Shadow in the tree
Opens a faint dark window
On another world.

Sunshine distillate
Pours into the yellow blooms
Childhood flower.

2008-09-01T16:11:00.000-07:00

Two deer are grazing:
Fawns in the orange sunset;
I stop and watch them.

New Orleans Haiku--April 2008

2008-04-28T09:39:00.000-07:00

Sweet smell of jasmine;
Palm fronds shake in the gray sky;
Three birds peck croissant.

Busy at breakfast,
Sparrows enjoy coffee and..
Leisurely Sunday.

Old streetcar rattles;
Police sirens flash down street:
St. Charles/Carrolton

The Dying Birch Tree

2008-04-13T07:00:00.001-07:00

The dying birch tree
Reaches out over the road
Grasping at the air.

Easter Twilight -- Rhinebeck Bridge

2008-03-23T16:56:00.000-07:00

Water on both sides;
Flickering lights on the banks--
Then, on land again.

2008-03-20T05:49:00.000-07:00

Lantern eyed possum
Waddles across rain swept road.
This time he made it.

On the Side of Ohayo Mountain Road

2008-02-17T15:44:00.000-08:00

Graceful dead brown fawn;
Black hopping crows pecking her.
Oh, my deep sorrow.

Aurora

2008-02-08T06:40:00.000-08:00

Dark glowing flower
Soon to bloom on the desert
Sheds her light always.

Witch Tree Road

2008-01-27T19:09:00.001-08:00

Across the headlights
Two fawns vanish in dark woods;
Doe stands like statue.

A Dream in New Haven

2008-01-20T05:18:00.001-08:00

Whispers of the leaves;
Dark passage between the trees.
Calm before the storm.

2008-01-08T11:16:00.001-08:00

Stella always looks--
And watches me watching her.
Who is seeing whom?

2007-12-25T10:26:00.000-08:00

Christmas day squirrel
Runs across the icy snow.
Alone, I watch him.

2007-12-02T12:50:00.000-08:00

Everything's frosted
Just a sprinkle of whiteness.
Excited, dog bounds.

Crazed tree Medusa
Stands blindly with snake filled hair.
Does she think dark thoughts?

2007-11-16T17:28:00.000-08:00

Stella smells the brush
Savors a million odors
And then licks her nose.

2007-09-30T19:54:00.001-07:00

Bright silver crescent
Caught in the dark web of night
Silhouettes the trees.

2007-08-28T15:02:00.000-07:00

Dorothy in the air
Flying just above the earth.
This is not Kansas.

Sitting in mid air;
Much firmer places to plotz
But not as much fun.

Coming in to land
Nomi eagle spreads her wings,
Lands like a feather.

Be careful below--
Everybody watch the sky.
Eagle is landing.

2007-08-26T11:57:00.000-07:00

Mirror of mountains
The lake absorbs the sky and earth
And does not let go.

Around water's bend
Another mystery lies.
Is there a monster?

"Keep out of the weeds;
I own the wild grasses;
They belong to me!"

Sheltered on the stump
They grow softly and in peace:
With no where to go.

Appel Farm Arts Camp First Session 2007

2007-07-23T12:39:00.000-07:00

Children dance below;
Bird sings happily on wire--
Two celebrations.

Glowing orange streaks
Slash early evening sky.
What ends? What begins?

Small bird on high wire
Head turned to look behind it
Waits and flies away.

Green leaves are sparkling
With a trillion bright sunbeams;
Everything is still.

She has on a hat;
Trying on a new person.
Which one will it be?

She's on everyone,
Climbing, flirting, cuddling,
Now an endless thirst.

With shades on she turns
Showing how sexy she is;
Her pants keep slipping.

They slap each other--
Two eleven year old friends:
Spank, spank and be spanked.

Band shell is lit now;
Evening is just upon us;
Notes dance in the dark.

Now a violin;
Then a melange of brass
Swooping to a close.

Tory before flute
Flies singing in front of bird--
Yes, "bye, bye blackbird".

Five young girls singing
Illuminate the stage:
Ageless choir of youth.

Like ducks to water
Young girls flock to the stage;
Dance to the rock band.

Camcorder father
Hunches around the rock stage
Sighting his daughter.

Woman holds small boy,
Shakes him to the rock music--
A joyous rag doll.

How swift the clouds move
Shading us with dark and light;
Change is in the wind.

Leaves shake on tall trees
Quivering above the rock stage.
Are they listening?

2007-06-24T07:09:00.000-07:00

Wires cut red heaven
Separating earth from sky;
Electric stillness.

Awareness

2007-06-14T12:10:00.000-07:00

The poet watches--
Sees every change in blossoms.
(His house is a mess).

Witch Tree Road: 10:30 P.M.

2007-06-12T19:40:00.000-07:00

White blooms on the road
Light up in the car's headlights:
Jewels from a dream.

2007-06-10T17:02:00.000-07:00

Papa is flying
Through the air with greatest ease;
Nomi swoops there, too.

2007-06-10T16:51:00.000-07:00

Suspended in air;
I say, "Down With Gravity!"
"Up With Levity".

2007-06-06T08:06:00.001-07:00

Back to back friendship
Two young woman on a roof--
A Woodstock classic.

Sunday By Cooper Lake

2007-06-03T12:55:00.000-07:00

Pale ghosts in the field
Sweep over the grass and trees
Leaving a vision.

Layers of green fern
Flow in waves to the forest,
Embraced by its darkness.

By the water's edge
An old tree stump dips its roots;
Does it drink deeply?

Water through the mist
Fades into the fainter shore:
Sunday--Cooper Lake.

2007-05-26T10:44:00.000-07:00

Floating through the air
Silent white puffs in the woods;
Cottonwood descends.

High in the fir tree
A large bird sits unconcerned--
Quiet bald eagle.

2007-05-24T17:53:00.000-07:00

Billowed down the hill
A lush mix of wild greens:
Seattle, sunny May.

2007-05-23T19:07:00.000-07:00

White puffs swirl around--
Cottonwood seeds in Seattle
Dance along the road.

Little kids scramble
In the mall mini playground;
Ecstatic caged birds.

Seattle--May 2007

2007-05-21T19:46:00.000-07:00

Nervous teenage girls
Bounce their legs up and down
Sitting on the bus.

Twin brothers playing--
Familiarity's ease.
Their circle is one.

Flat on the buildings
Sun takes on two dimensions--
Seattle sunset.

2007-05-17T13:22:00.000-07:00

Lone dove on the road
Unfazed by the passing cars
Enjoys the sunset.

2007-05-13T19:25:00.000-07:00

Stream bed at sunset
Flows through the eddies of light--
Luminosity.

2007-05-12T19:10:00.001-07:00

Mist floats off the road
Swirls around the car's headlights--
Phantoms of the night.

2007-05-11T16:57:00.000-07:00

Mother and daughter
Defy law of gravity
Knowing that love floats.

2007-05-11T15:11:00.000-07:00

Scattered dogwood blooms
Cover the tree and the ground--
Divine abundance.

In sparkling water
Fisherman stands with bowed head
Praying for fish.

Turkey crosses road,
Its head bobbing back and forth;
Its feet just follow.

Black and white cat stares
At home, nestled in the grass;
Who is the stranger?

Green jungle billows--
Impenetrable and thick.
(It's just off the road).

2007-05-09T08:36:00.000-07:00

Now it is spring time;
For Stella all is outside--
"Let me go and play".

2007-05-06T16:19:00.001-07:00

Sun sets in tulips
Trapped in the fiery red;
Ecstatic captive.

Tiny purple words
Twisted by the crystal ball
Now have new meaning.

2007-05-04T04:53:00.000-07:00

Stella does not pose;
Egyptian princesses don't;
They just don't need to.

2007-05-03T10:51:00.000-07:00

Old couple lived here
In this burned out hulk of house.
Where could they be now?

2007-05-02T08:41:00.000-07:00

Quiet all winter
Green plant bursts into red bloom
Celebrating spring.

Man at next table
Talks incessantly at friend.
Does he take a breath?

2007-04-30T08:12:00.000-07:00

Androgynous child
Puzzles at being observed:
"What is he seeing?"

2007-04-29T14:57:00.000-07:00

Black girl with head bowed
Stands lost in thought on a bridge;
Sister turns to scold.

Eleven at night on Bostok Road

2007-04-28T20:35:00.000-07:00

Picks his way across:
Fat possum crosses the road
Illumined by car.

2007-04-24T10:07:00.001-07:00

Birds call and respond--
Unseen voices from the trees;
Tears run down my cheeks.

2007-04-22T09:00:00.000-07:00

Bare apple tree dances
Limbs suspended in mid-air
Welcoming the spring.

Strutting in the snow
Canadian goose takes its time;
No rush in the spring.

2007-04-18T12:56:00.001-07:00

Outside my window
A bright oriole flutters
Shooting yellow rays.

2007-04-11T12:20:00.000-07:00

Dancers on the ice
Glide smoothly, twirling, spinning;
Their grace is liquid.

New Paltz in the Morning

2007-04-10T08:19:00.000-07:00

Squirrel in center road
Sits up in the sun and glares,
Fearless but frozen.

Waiting for the bus
Pop pitches ball to daughter;
Lessons before school.

Weather Forecast for Ohayo Mountain Road, Woodstock, New York at Seven O'Clock P.M. on April 7, 2007

2007-04-07T16:52:00.000-07:00

Snow catches sunset
Dropping through the golden rays
Fluttering nowhere.

APRIL FOOL'S DAY

2007-04-01T19:14:00.000-07:00

Six fluffy white tails
Bounce, weave, and bob to the woods
Where they disappear.

Swirling tufts of clouds
Slide around the moving car
Giving way to drizzle.

In the Awareness Shop at Twilight

2007-03-22T13:40:00.000-07:00

Sunlight on notebooks
Casts shadows of the spirals;
Wall clock ticks loudly.
Through the window dying rays;
Little lamp cannot compete.

NEW ORLEANS--MARCH 2007

2007-03-18T19:42:00.000-07:00

In the Airplane:

Big shaved bullet head
Sits hunched over his movie,
Staring as if blind.

New Orleans--March 2007

Feather in gray sky
Floats across the street car tracks--
Cajun radio.

Beads hang from the trees
Competing with Spanish moss.
Ghosts of Mardi Gras.

Middle of the Gulf,
Heron standing on a pile
Surveys the water.

Twisted bayou trees
Bare and black against the sky
Extend forever.

"We tear down houses"--
Sign hangs above the blank shells;
Buildings without life.

Skyscrapers ahead;
To the right, rows of rubble;
Uneven city.

Street car tracks extend--
St. Charles goes on forever
Without the street cars.

On the Way to the Airport:

Sad face in window:
Black boy stares out of school bus
Lit by rising sun.

New Paltz Trailway Tankas

2007-03-13T15:10:00.000-07:00

3/13/2007

Cold fluorescent light;
Student reads book on the bench
while wriggling her feet.
Red letters say ATM
Above the silver machine.

Black girl sits on bench
Studying her fingernails
With self-conscious pout.
Outside people shift and wait;
One man stares into the air.

Man with beret yawns,
Then goes back to his writing;
But wait! That is me!
Two cars in the parking lot
Their tail lights softly glow red.

Man walks through the door
Lightly touches pouting girl;
He comes to meet her.
The two swish out of the room.
Once again it is empty.

Girl strides through the door
Heading for the ATM
Machine makes strange tones.
Her head is bent like praying,
Then the money slithers forth.

2007-03-13T15:08:00.000-07:00

Endless train cars pass;
Red light glows against gray sky;
Cowboy sings sad song.

2007-01-19T20:58:00.000-08:00

Diner Tanka:

One man is talking
Voice droning through the gray day.
What is he saying?
The other man is quiet;
Maybe he's fallen asleep.

Now there is silence;
Quiet man walks to counter;
He won't pay the bill.
Price of listening is cheap:
Free breakfast, coffee and bun.

Poor old men come here;
The breakfast is good and cheap.
Oh, I'm one of them.
I don't recognize myself
When I see other old men.

Steel milk dispenser
Wears bright American flag:
Pasted stars and stripes
Nobody's saluting it;
Nobody's at attention.

Passing By:

Soft sepia rays
Touch curtains in the old house.
Light from yesteryear.

2006-05-08T08:26:00.000-07:00

Trees sprout from the rocks;
They are thin, white, sturdy birch
Who do not care for the rocks.

Horse sits in the field
Surrounded by endless grass.
It surveys the road.

Moon is one third gone;
It makes shadows of the trees.
How could I forget?

2006-04-09T10:17:00.000-07:00

Shadow crossed the road;
Then it swiftly disappeared.
There was nothing there.

PARIS CYCLE

2006-04-05T09:12:00.000-07:00

Last Christmas, my daughter, Hira and son-in-law Todd, gave me a whirlwind trip to Paris. I hadn't been there since 1954. Naturally, I haikued my way through the trip.

Eating tarama;
Next to me they speak Russian.
Where the hell am I?

Girl drags umbrella
Brightly colored like a doll
But no fun to hug.

Waiter steps outside:
He has to use his cell phone.
It's the cyberworld.

The waiter is nice
But he has forgotten me.
Shall I be pissed off?

Asian girls are young
Until they are very old;
Then they are ancient.

Black/blonde arm in arm:
Two women friends (or lovers).
Who cares? It looks nice.

French Luca Brazzi
Sits down and lights cigarette
Waiting for his fuel.

There still is more wine;
I wonder if I can walk.
No clean plate club there.

Young girl dances in
Far in front of her father.
Who is leading whom?

Turkish tea is strong;
The sugar doesn't change it.
My tongue is curling.

Next to Notre Dame
Thriving Turkish restaurant.
Cultures coexist.

Today more red wine;
Is there any other way?
No. Not in Paris.

Church bells are ringing;
People stroll the boulevard.
The sun is shining.

Old bleached blonde lady
With fishnet stockings and heels.
American? No.

There is no rush here;
Trying is a waste of time.
Might as well relax.

Yawning ten year old
Sits near the Mona Lisa.
I think his feet hurt.

2006-03-27T07:01:00.000-08:00

Bird perched on green pole
Looks like exquisite carved cane;
Then it flies away.

Cat in parking lot
Freezes, then looks all around
Tail flicks and ears twitch.

2006-02-15T06:36:00.000-08:00

While meditating
I feel a tug on my sleeve.
Stella wants petting.

Soft winter shadows
Painted by afternoon sun;
Dappled living room.

Before 2005

2006-02-12T11:39:00.000-08:00

1/19/2001
Black purring fur ball
Stella sits on the white pad.
(My cat does not write)

11/15/2000
My cat is confused;
I dance--to her a strange game
That she hasn't learned

11/11/00
Seagull on a pole
Lifts head and screams at the clouds;
Then preens its feathers.

12/10/2000
Fly and Stella cat:
Fly scitters around ceiling
Stella wants to fly.

5/6/00
Paddle ears alert
Three deer freeze on the road side.
I wait for motion.

4/27/00
There is a damp green,
A hush gray above the lawn;
Spring time is waiting.

4/24/00
The pond is empty;
Pipes are scattered on the bed;
Water memories.

4/24/00
Three women praising
A baby carriaged bundle.
He/She is asleep.

4/24/00
It's gray and muggy
Radio songs are boring;
The world really sucks.

4/13/00
The 'gator watches
Showing only his nostrils.
My canoe lurches.

4/13/00
Clouds up and clouds down;
A light blinks and engine roars.
We are suspended.

4/13/00
Spanish moss like ghosts
Hangs above the swamp waters.
Alligator eyes!

3/31/00
The trees catch the light,
Gold in the crisp morning air;
Spring slant of sunrise.

3/31/00
The sky is clear blue.
The sun slowly spreads its warmth;
I ponder past hurts.

3/29/00
She reclines in peace,
Then bristles and leaps forward
Chasing cat phantoms.

3/29/00
She watches robins
Hopping outside the window
Oh! What a prison.

3/29/00
Her perfume lingered
In the air, the day she died;
A faint remembrance.

3/26/00
Outside, it is gray.
Inside, all the taxes wait.
I will stay in bed.

3/20/00
My cat's tail twitches
As she sits in the window
Watching her cat thoughts.

3/16/00
Before the candle
White ghosts clung to the ceiling.
Now there are shadows.

3/1/00
A silence descends
As my cat stops her purring.
Outside, a stream whirrs.

2/25/00
Slanted lids are shut.
Only her whiskers vibrate;
She lets me please her.

09/28/02
Yellow light, flat walls
Palm trees cast quiet shadows.
Soft New Orleans dawn.

09/28/02
Plock. Plock. Plock. Plock. Plock.
Rain drops in an empty pipe.
The storm is over.

09/26/02
The air is quiet
Soft clouds float below soft clouds
The storm is over.

09/25/02
Rushing in the trees
Blown rain against my window
The storm approaches.

05/27/02
Girls stride up the hill
Their heads bob from side to side
So many new sights.

1/19/2001
Black purring fur ball
Stella sits on the white pad.
(My cat does not write)

11/15/2000
My cat is confused;
I dance--to her a strange game
That she hasn't learned.

11/11/00
Seagull on a pole
Lifts head and screams at the clouds;
Then preens its feathers.

12/10/2000
Fly and Stella cat:
Fly skitters around ceiling
Stella wants to fly.

5/6/00
Paddle ears alert
Three deer freeze on the road side.
I wait for motion.

4/24/00
The pond is empty;
Pipes are scattered on the bed;
Water memories.

4/24/00
Three women praising
A baby carriaged bundle.
He/She is asleep.

4/13/00
The 'gator watches
Showing only his nostrils.
My canoe lurches.

4/13/00
Clouds up and clouds down;
A light blinks and engine roars.
We are suspended.

4/13/00
Spanish moss like ghosts
Hangs above the swamp waters.
Alligator eyes!

3/29/00
She reclines in peace,
Then bristles and leaps forward
Chasing cat phantoms.

3/29/00
She watches robins
Hopping outside the window
Oh! What a prison.

3/15/00
Inside is silent.
Outside is wind and peepers.
Which world am I in?

3/1/00
A silence descends
As my cat stops her purring.
Outside, a stream whirrs.

2/25/00
Slanted lids are shut.
Only her whiskers vibrate;
She lets me please her.

1/31/00
Lights punch the black night;
Yellow beatle eyes rush past.
All is dark again.

1/24/00
Alto holds her note;
My car glides down the mountain.
Red stop sign stops us.

1/24/00
Air is calm and still;
On the phone--news of his death.
A truck rumbles by.

1/20/00
Flame above the snow;
Candle flickers left and right;
My window's mirror.

Pin ball machines squawk;
A family eats in silence.
Nothing is happening.

2006-02-12T10:50:00.000-08:00

Summer 2005

Swarms of birds above;
Winged insects pour from the ground.
Which one the mirror?

A boy on the beach
Chases his little brother.
Soon there will be tears

Woodchuck on the road
Runs to stay ahead of me.
My car is faster.

The storm is over;
A brown cat stands in the field.
Now the sky is still.

Shadows are moving,
Flashing across the Coop bunks.
Who is making them?

Hazy shadows fall;
The sun is gray and muted.
South Jersey evening.

Thunder then quiet;
The clouds shift uneasily.
They are like my moods.

Lights pin point the dark;
Trees are alive and sparkling.
Fireflies twinkle

Small lights dot the night
And soar into the darkness.
I want to follow.

A flash of white wings:
Angelique leaps to the sky;
The ball floats upward.

HAIKU TO YOU TOO

2006-02-12T10:36:00.000-08:00

What? Another haiku site? Fact is that I am becoming possessed by the haiku muse. For over a year I have had a blogsite "Yerry Hill Road" which contains haiku only relating to those things I experience on my walk up and down Yerry Hill Road near my house. If you want to check those out, go to
http://sarvananda.blogspot.com/

Problem is that I began to think that any haiku that I composed had to be on my walk. Now, I am haikuing all over the place. I want to keep the original site the way it is. But here are some other haiku.

Enjoy.

Falcon in the field
Sits still on a tufted weed;
Delicately poised.

Woman dressed in white
Walks beside the field of snow.
Doesn't disappear.