tall, whitewashed farmhouse

tall, whitewashed farmhouse
surrounded by frosted fields
a rural palace

the clouds broke tonight

the clouds broke tonight
moonlight seeping through the cracks
mending the fault lines

naked, the trees reach

naked, the trees reach:
bony branches search the sky,
stripped of their color

blue october storm

blue october storm,
the leaves bleed yellows and reds:
water-colored fall

birds swimming as one

birds swimming as one
a dancing, dotted sculpture
shaped by rushing wind

a dream

last night the moon fell,
a flush, bejeweled dragon
thrashing at the sky

Peace, you will find her

Peace, you will find her
staring down the screaming storm
and daring to breathe

the second hand slows

the second hand slows,
breathing with the crickets' call:
time, an illusion

the earth turns her face

the earth turns her face
from the sun's placating rays
nightime is fallen

cocky red cardinal

cocky red cardinal
crimson king of the fence post:
backyard royalty

at the hospital

at the hospital
tears polish the wellworn floors
place of birth and death

Beneath the stone bridge

Beneath the stone bridge
muddied water comes to rest
sheltered from the storm

June, don't slip away

June, don't slip away
let me linger one more night
in summersweet arms

lightning bugs blinking

lightning bugs blinking
evening wrought in morse code
an ancient riddle

a hole in the tree

a hole in the tree
branches. Sunlight, lemon squeezed
drips through, sweet&bright

hee-yah!

Well, the self-imposed one-year deadline of this blog is finally here. Deadlines, rules, structure I've come to realize are good things for creativity. Yes, good things. Just like haiku, with its 5-7-5 golden rule, boundaries in art present a sort of framework or foundation for creativity that enable us to capture a bit of fleeting, unwieldy beauty and tame it somewhat like a wild mustang. The trick is to let it buck lively as hell to the edge of the corral and enjoy the crazy ride while it lasts. So, this was fun but I'm letting the poor haiku horse go now so I can ring another. I'll leave it then with this:

brash, unbound beauty
ever coy with the artist
captured in haiku

hee-yah!

Andy

gentle, cloudless night

gentle, cloudless night
rising moon through tree branches
so the journey ends

movement defines life

movement defines life,
which spins even in stillness,
tethered to the earth

all return to soil

all return to soil
our earthen body's last rite
so plant your seeds now

water maple seeds

water maple seeds
kids chasing helicopters
catch them if you can

Wake up, O sleeper!

Wake up, O Sleeper!
The World is yours to behold:
Write down what you see

bird on a stop sign

bird on a stop sign
casts a sideways glance at me
mutually amused

Color, Life's herald

Color, Life's herald,
proclaims the return of Spring:
nīkē!... victory

a caged gorilla

a caged gorilla
once the mighty jungle-king
now kids point and laugh

a willow weeping

a willow weeping
april is the cruelest month
with birth must come pain

spring-pink snow shower

spring-pink snow shower
eastern redbud petals swirl
sweet scented blizzard

a warm breeze tonight

a warm breeze tonight
rest and watch the stars appear
what secrets they hold!

self love and self hate

self love and self hate
two sides of the same, vain coin
pitch it in the well

At mass yesterday, the priest talked about a bird outside his office that kept flying into the window at its reflection. He had two thoughts on this: 1) the bird was in love with its reflection (narcissism) or 2) the bird was attacking its reflection (self loathing). It just made me think about how both self love and self hate are really equal expressions of self-centeredness -- both bring obsession with the object in the mirror. Anyway, today's haiku is a reflection (pun intended!) of that idea.

each night the sun dies

each night the sun dies
cloud shrouded, interred to night
each morn born again

early morning dark

early morning dark
the lake, smooth obsidian,
dream to walk across

bluegrass horizon

bluegrass horizon
where horse fields and clouds collide
perspective's white lie

all night, restless wind,

all night, restless wind
trees tapping at my window
winter won't let go

iridescent dawn

iridescent dawn
the dogwood is in full bloom
white petals soon gone

it begins with hurt

it begins with hurt
birthright of every artist
confronting the void

all of nature breathes

all of nature breathes
with a gentle arc of wind
sows seeds of stillness

smiling cheshire moon

smiling cheshire moon
mischievous stars twinkle
whimsy rules tonight

a shocking sunrise

a shocking sunrise
dashing the spring-cool morning
fiery Light-King

birdsong at first light

birdsong at first light
God speaks, for those who listen,
in earth's first language

driving home at night

driving home at night
the sky cave-black and formless
try not to fall in

walking through the rain

walking through the rain
singing soft, How Great Thou Art,
thinking of Papa

crosswalk, chipping paint

crosswalk, chipping paint
bridge from ruins to ruins
for the lonely crowd

spring showed up today

spring showed up today
like a friend at the back door,
a surprise visit

gray cubicle walls

gray cubicle walls
colorless killer of all
my youthful dreaming

February falls

February falls,
and from the wintry ashes
spring begins her rise

bird hopping on snow

bird hopping on snow:
a curious, delicate
search for spring beneath

melting icicles

melting icicles
frozen beauty slowly bleeds
in clear, sunlit drops

bending black branches

bending black branches
bearing the beauty of snow
the burden of grace

pinecone, layered bloom

pinecone, layered bloom
wooden petals recalling
my Georgia boyhood

the moon's reflection

the moon's reflection
pressed into darkened windows:
fragmented stillness

Time, unmoved by tears,

This one after putting our little Lucy cat to sleep this weekend. Sad.

Time, unmoved by tears,
Pressed the hardest on my chest
In that last, soft breath

white winter sunrise

white winter sunrise
dipped, like an early easter egg,
in pink and blue tints

crystalline snowflakes

crystalline snowflakes
once beads of water vapor
elegant rebirth

snow swirling upward

snow swirling upward
like champagne bubbles rising
shunning gravity

it's new year's, and hope

it's new year's, and hope
flirtatiously seduces
me against my will