where the road and sky collide

just around the bend
where the road and sky collide
a new year waiting...

invisible rain

invisible rain
revealed by the street lamp's glow
umbrella of light

she calls her husband

she calls her husband
empty hospital hallway
voice muffled in grief

a coronation

snow-heavy branches
arching above the worn road
a coronation

On twitter

Now tweeting haiku on twitter: @andymcleroy

masquerading white

unifying light
the snow, millions of colors
masquerading white

the nativity

the nativity
gaudy plastic shepherds, kings
still inspires joy

do you remember

do you remember
who we were before the glow
of screens in our hands?

reading Vonnegut

haggard walgreens clerk
smoking beside a brick wall
reading Vonnegut

wagon in the yard

wagon in the yard
long after the sun has set
the children in bed

church bells striking noon

church bells striking noon
ignored by the busy crowd
for whom do they toll?

dying hurricane

seven hundred miles
this snarling wind has travelled
dying hurricane

before the sunrise

before the sunrise
the moon rushes beside me
on the way to work

learning to whistle

learning to whistle
she bounds into our bedroom
in celebration

American Dream

a Lincoln pulls in
as iron gates close behind
American Dream

this autumn morning

this autumn morning
you've outdone yourself again
crafting the sunrise

elderly mother

elderly mother
walks in hand with her daughter
beneath autumn leaves

scarred, jutting rock face

scarred, jutting rock face
blasted for the interstate
crowned in evergreens

kids at the bus stop

kids at the bus stop
excitedly looking at
some unknown treasure

the blind man shopping

the blind man shopping
insists on green bananas
from the produce clerk

cattails

the peeling cattails
dying in quiet wetlands
protest not their fate

a spaceship

with a black marker
she transforms the cardboard box
into a spaceship

first frost

first frost, I forgot
the beauty of morning wheat
crystallized in ice

guiding the backhoe

guiding the backhoe
with a conductor’s finesse
the wiry old man

an indignant tree

branches lopped & chopped
so power lines can run through
an indignant tree

outside the E.R.

outside the E.R.
a helicopter descends
life in the balance

life's disappointments

life's disappointments
I sit at the piano
recall them no more

the parking garage

the parking garage
layers of concrete darkness
welcome me to work

tomorrow awaits

look closely beyond
the starry curtain of night:
tomorrow awaits

born to foreign lands

born to foreign lands
my whole life's journey, finding
my way back to God

creativity

creativity
trapped inside like a genie
waiting to be free

exhausted from work

exhausted from work
I step inside the sunset
leave the day behind

above, an airplane

above, an airplane
and below, a firefly
equal points of light

childhood summer

As my kids head off to camp, I can't think of a better haiku than this one by my bro-in-law Ryan Devlin to capture childhood summer.

Red Kool-Aid mustache
Bare feet scratched strong on tree trunks
Three months of freedom

yellow moon

strutting yellow moon,
halo like a lion's mane,
roaring at the stars

Contest winners

Taiko drum roll... we're excited to announce the winners of our first ever Haiku Dudes contest. The two top picks will be emailed their gift card today. Thanks to everyone who submitted, and sorry we can't reward you all (if haiku blogging were a lucrative endeavor we would!) We appreciate the participation and will do another contest soon, perhaps in the fall.

Scott's top pick:

As we walked, we felt
    hearts which fueled separate pulses
    splintering in sync.
-Elizabeth Ewing

Judge's comments:  For me a haiku is only successful if it can transport my mind to a specific season (whether it actually be weather or season of life) or speak to my heart through the use of something like nostalgia or emotion. This brought me directly back to those electrifying moments in which my wife and I walked the streets of Chicago, falling in love the whole time. Those moments when you say so much without saying anything at all. Its a beautiful moment, captured, I think,  perfectly in this haiku. I love the phrase "splintering in sync." It's almost unexplainable but completely understandable if you've experienced it yourself.

Andy's top pick:

parked on backwoods road –
a six-pack and basho's frog
keep me company
-Lee Beasley

Judge's comment: Well, I'm not usually one for name dropping, but I couldn't resist the nod to Basho and his famous frog haiku in this entry. Aside from that,  this haiku put me in mind of my Georgia boyhood with good-natured, six-pack sipping uncles in the backwoods. It also reminded me of the time honored tradition of mixing a good brew with contemplation (Trappist beer anyone?)


Honorable mention:
We hadn't planned on an honorable mention, but being both dog owners, we couldn't help but identify with this one.


my silly bulldog
acting like he needs to pee,
outside he just sits. -Cyndi Delia

Contest Update

Thanks to all for your entries to the Haiku Dudes contest. The response was great and we can't wait to read them. We will announce the winner next week -- stay tuned!

First Annual Haiku Dudes Haiku Contest

*Contest update: 5/5/12* Due to feedback from haiku aficionados out there, we've decided to ease the 5-7-5 requirement and will accept contemporary haiku forms as well.

Today is the three year anniversary of the Haiku Dudes blog. To celebrate this momentous occaison, we’re holding our first ever haiku contest!

The rules are simple. Your haiku must be a haiku (that is, three lines, syllables of 5-7-5). Submit as many haiku as you like. Your haiku cannot have been previously published. Anyone is eligible.

My blog co-founder Scott and I will read them all and each pick our favorite.* Winners will have their haiku posted on this prestigious blog and receive a $15 giftcard to Barnes & Noble. The contest entry deadline is May 17, 2012.

E-mail your entry here: haikududes@yahoo.com (We won’t put you on an annoying email list or sell your name or anything shady like that.)

Happy haiku-ing!

Andy

P.S. We’ve added a new “follow” feature in the right side bar – if you enjoy this site, please consider following us.

*Note: Our Haiku Dudes support staff will compile the entries without names to keep things anonymous and fair for the judging process.

waiting for sunrise

in a darkened field
an old tractor sits idle
waiting for sunrise

on covered bridge road

on covered bridge road
petals pelting my windshield
spring flower shower

a gentle spring rain

a gentle spring rain

the leaves flutter like feathers

while trees dream of flight

my son

where does 10 years go?
so safe upon my shoulders
now quietly gone

6 a.m.

getting out of bed
the hardest, most vital thing
to do for your art

when was the last time

when was the last time
you sipped a honeysuckle
floral flavored wine

Pink & white trees bloom

Pink & white trees bloom

I don't even know their names

So much still to learn

when birdsong wakes you

when birdsong wakes you

and slanted light stripes the bed

a good day awaits

at the hospital

at the hospital
so many unanswered whys
for the brave chaplain

when spring frost arrives

when spring frost arrives,
icy last breath of white death,
guard your garden buds

young old lady

white hair, rimmed glasses
the young old lady floors it
in her red MG

learning to know God

learning to know God

begins with learning to love:

start & finish there.

a cardinal sings

outside our window
as Winter kneels before Spring
a cardinal sings

secret kindness

in secret we watch
as our grumpy old neighbor
feeds our puppies treats

after surgery

after surgery
I have begun to accept
it takes pain to heal

working late

the cleaning ladies
sing in soft, warm spanish tones
until they see us

horses on a hill

horses on a hill

black ghosts against the white sky

sons of ancient wars

winter morning hymn

winter morning hymn
the frozen trees bend their limbs
bowing to the sun