another white lie . . .

 

another white lie
I can’t bear to repeat . . .
hunger moon

Modern Haiku, vol. 43.1, Winter/Spring 2012

before her death . . .

 

before her death
she tries to sing the hymn
we know by heart . . .
the words she asks to hear
the words I sang for her

red lights, vol. 8, no. 1, January 2012

A word (or two) about monostich . . .

 

giving voice to my night coyotes

Modern Haiku, vol. 43.1, Winter/Spring 2012

I’ve recently started trying my hand at monostich, or one-line haiku–the English-language version of the Japanese practice of writing haiku in one horizontal line across the page.  Some months ago I asked my friend Melissa Allen, a wonderful monostich writer, what makes for a good one-line haiku.  She referred me to some websites,  including her own Red Dragonfly, where she has several discussions on the subject (check out her examples from one of the form’s masters, Marlene Mountain).  A few months later, she and several other contemporary haiku poets began posting one-line haiku regularly on the eponymous Monostich–a website dedicated to the form.  There are many other great resources you can explore easily through the internet.  Perhaps, like me, you’ll give it a try . . . .

river bottom . . .

 

river bottom
wild ferns unfurl beneath
my bare feet

Notes from the Gean, vol. 3, no. 3, December 2011

 

one to grow on . . .

one to grow on
in the center of the cake . . .
an extra candle
to light my path forward
to lead me home again

red lights, vol. 8, no. 1, January 2012

I am so happy to be included in Marilyn Hazelton’s current issue of red lights alongside so many wonderful tanka poets.  If you don’t already know about this biannual gem of a journal, you can click on the link for more information.  What a pleasure!

a surprise . . .

a surprise
at this time in life to find
such passion . . .
a covey of quail rises
fluttering on dark wings

Moonbathing, no. 5, Fall/Winter 2011-2012

Anyone who reads this blog on a regular basis knows that there are multiple reasons why I have a special fondness for Moonbathing, Pamela A. Babusci’s biannual journal of women’s tanka.  Pamela, a wonderful tanka poet and editor, led me to my discovery of tanka just a little over a year ago when I saw a call for submissions to her journal.  It was a call that, literally, changed my life.  When Pamela agreed to publish my first poem shortly after I began writing tanka, I was beside myself with gratitude.  Little did I know how much I would grow to appreciate and love this ancient five-line form.  Or how much I would love the feeling of community I share with other tanka writers–both male and female–whose work I respect and admire.  

It is especially gratifying, then, for me to introduce others in some small way to tanka . . . and to Moonbathing.  (I know several other poets learned of the journal here; now, their tanka are among the many beautiful poems featured in this new issue.)  To subscribe to or learn more about Moonbathing, e-mail Pamela at: moongate44@gmail.com.  I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.  I know I’m not.  And, Pamela, thank you . . .

 

epiphany . . .

epiphany—
a gift bag of needles
under the tree

Acorn, no. 27, Fall 2011