13 Haiku

As the thunder booms

above the shuddering lake

these birds keep singing

Cigarette in mouth

she bends over to collect

our cabin’s garbage

For breakfast, some flies

circling raspberry donuts—

and a dog with fleas

translated from Velko’s Bulgarian

*

Awake while they snore—

electrical hum and drips

of faucet water

Awake while they snore—

the purple coat on the chair

looks calm and alert

Awake while they snore—

a zigzagging fly decides

to land on my thumb

*

Awake while they snore—

such a luscious symphony

of these birds at dawn!

On the white pavement

a tiny red ant scurries

to avoid raindrops

Summer afternoon—

is that toad-faced cloud trying

to tell me something?

*

Cool rippling water

from a tilted blue bottle

pouring into me

A gleam in his eye

with the first sip of cold beer,

sunset behind him

Open book unread,

watching the downrushing rain—

wet pattering sound

*

Gushing summer rain—

I dream of my tombstone phrase:

A friend of the cats…

.

No Hiding Place

I went up to the hills

To hide my lonely face

The hills were quick to tell me

There ain’t no hiding place

There’s no hiding place

There’s no hiding place

There ain’t no escape

There’s no hiding place

I went up to a man

With eyes like glowing stones

And through a slow sad smile

He told me what I know

There’s no hiding place

There’s no hiding place

There ain’t no escape

There’s no hiding place

I went to see the man

With the medicine

And after flying high

I really understand

There’s no hiding place

There’s no hiding place

There ain’t no escape

There’s no hiding place

I asked a lovely lady

“Will you be my wife?”

She said “If I will

It still won’t save your life!”

There’s no hiding place

There’s no hiding place

There ain’t no escape

There’s no hiding place

.