haiku       a collection of haiku, mainly       John Bailey      

 

Garden haiku

During the summer, autumn and winter of 1999
I took on the task of creating a small enclosed garden.

garden bamboo
leaf here, leaf there
impossible calligraphy

leaf dapple
sun prisms
dancing

old grey poet
thinks of gardens
forgets worlds

feather falls
wild cat dances
-- rainy afternoon

fountain trickles
bamboo smiles
-- new grass stretches

new garden
how clean! how neat!
old poet rests

dry paper seed heads
rain filled sky
-- hedgerow harvest

foolish poet
sweeps his path
-- contented smile

flower planting in the rain
damp old poet
still avoiding words

fine rose sprinkling
here, there --
a grasshopper leaps aside

weather map shows
northern frosts --
my grasshoppers still sing

first leaves
on the garden path
-- last night's storm

in the poppy
a dusty bee
sings

in the west wind
a whispering fountain
-- autumn voices

sitting in the garden
butterfly on table
bee on peach tree

in the dark sky
a thousand stars --
listen!

from the high moors
a chill wind --
the cat sleeps indoors

small town morning
so many fallen leaves --
     first Autumn storm

misted with rain
a grey cat drinks from the fountain

by the morning window
so cool, so soft --
     mist in the garden

grass and breeze
make long waves
     break dancing on cement shores

suspended on spider thread
an autumn leaf
twirling

old grey poet
stands in bare garden
wilderness in his eyes

rainy garden --
rusty old pan
holds no water

on the pavement
a trail of petals
     -- faded roses

in the open door
gloves, knife, shears,
     -- garden beyond

by the fountain
grey cat sleeps
     -- perhaps she dreams

in the deep shade
white gemstones
move with the sun

at noon
only the shadows
are short

the trees stand still
the breeze is without breath
     nightingale

on the quiet windchime
a butterfly rests
     summer afternoon

 

Somerset 1999

 

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