19 Haiku

Lone seagull cawing

in the blue above green pines—

Please! Please! Don’t leave me!

Bicycling to work—

low growl of breath, and fog damp

on a grinning face

The sputtering flight

of a sparrow in the rain—

sparkling umbrellas

*

Crow on the roof of

a government monolith,

rasping his complaint

This face staring back

at me from my coffee cup—

I resist judgement

Three quiet birds stand

on three thin telephone wires—

grey backdrop sky

*

Staggering mammoth

on the train station platform—

couple embracing

This celebration!

Bright explosions in the streets!

I hide in my house.

In the misty fog,

shrilling his proclamation—

crow on a trash bin

*

Climbing concrete hills

I am my raincoat’s hanger

in a sweaty mist

Dressing before work

I trace each tooth with my tongue

and then tie my shoes

A lone morning dove

cooing in the sleepy fog

on a long black wire

*

Metal tunnel drone

of an aircraft overhead—

then a chilled stillness

Cloud baby waving

from his fleecy bassinet—

enjoying the ride

Purple mask laughing

in the curl of a cloudpuff—

now a grouchy priest!

*

Sparkling golden leaves

crown wind-rustled cottonwoods

on the river bank

Yoga at sunrise—

just noticing a noble

face in the tree’s bark

Window to dark woods

shows a sudden fluttering—

just a passing bat

*

Rattling cicadas—

summer music makes me breathe

slowly, like a cloud

.