popping plastic
a car veers to the gutter
drifts of tired leaves

cold bright autumn day -
the last leaves float to the ground
like lost promises

old stones, weathered smooth
a deep bed of pine needles
guarded by angels

leaves shiver, cling
against the thinly-veiled moon
you are gone

raking new leaves
over the same ground -
therapy session

prep for winter
auto emission repair
a mere two twenty five dollars

rain drums on the roof
of a tin bus shelter
John loves Peter

Autumn dark
stiff by night frost
inflorescence

vapor trails criss-cross the sky --
celestial navigotors
and here am I stuck on earth

clouds fall from
unbroken sheets of grey
next-door's dog on our lawn

joyful distraction
frogsong slips thru' the sound
of splashing water

persistent rain
the scent of yesterday's bread
lost in damp leaves

autumn storm -
rush of clouds beetween
streetlights and moon

***

tempête d'automne -
entre lune et réverbères
la course des nuages

dead leaves
at the front door
a gift of the wind

choppy waters under grey skies
anger surges over the dinner table --

Thanksgiving Day

car windows steamed up
a plastic bottle pops
under the tyre

growing chill
Gnome works in his garden
and whistles

bright sunshine
mitigates the wind chill
old chestnuts creak

this old man
misses the rustling leaves
leaf blower

thanksgiving eve-
humming as I leave the plant
for all night cook off


Have a great Thanksgiving everyone :)

windchimes
over the graves of children
cold breezes


edited - thanks David

holiday menu
how much goodness do I want
on the table

old leather leaf
by poet

leaves pile up
by the back door
leather-hued, worn and scuffed --

cold, stark, bare
we wait for winter

evening drive
tapping my fingers
to wipers' beat

leaves fly past
dancing in the strong wind
the dog watches them

flying ants
a search for light
ends by the stove

swift rainclouds
a rusty black cab
with one headlight

stars splinter
under night's indigo dome --
the season of memories about to begin

bare branches let the light shine weakly

gray skies fill me with glee
the smell, the feel, the sight
of fall is mine to keep

lobelias flash blue
as the wind whips fallen leaves
school children shiver

All night the the wind and rain
clawed at the scored slopes of the mountain

Photo Climbing Snowdon by Kris Thirty6Red

Sunday market
a fountain of colour
mahonia flowers

hooked on
his intoxicating charm-
crescent moon

poor fellow,
crucified...the wind moans
in a withered field

dust unsettles --
the storm creaks
my knuckles

autumn, come and gone
rich russet leaves turn brown

Autumn gust
still leaves
scatter again

the dog won't come in
out of the misting rain
pink cyclamen flowers

your eyes see
only far horizon
November and love ends

end of week -
the neighbours' cherry tree
turns yellow


***

fin de semaine -
le cerisier des voisins
vire au jaune

Mandy Smith, has passed away quietly,  two days ago, this news was left on Mandy's Meanderings by her son David.

early commute
leafless tree swaying
in the moonlight

raindrops roll down
the golden leaf
first day in hospice

Mainichi (Japan) Daily News
Nov.2, 2002, (No. 641)

Also in my book, Rustle of bamboo leaves

gray skies, fill my soul with glee
the smelling of burning leaves
the crisp air fills my heart
sounds of moving on
the mere sight of Autumns gold
is all but mine to keep

cherry red leaves
fall at my feet
tomorrow is leaf day

long harsh winter nears
the earths beauty blinded in white

sweet elderberry hurry hurry
time to sleep and dream
coming winter's snow is deep
dream of warm days in the meadow

silk flowers
cartwheel along grassy paths
wind-swept cemetery

through leafless trees

through leafless trees
the lights of the pub
on the moor

gerald england

...

market run
rainbow of mums fill the aisles
with gold aster acceents

Winter Berry

winter berry bright
star in the night
red in the snow

gusty wind
the acorns pop
under my feet

impromptu kite
motorcycle cover blows off
in the high wind

leaves fall
onto the pool
pianissimo

on the path
the leaves have fallen
ahead of me

stair-rods of rain
the windowsill fanned
by an irritated cat





edited with Alan's help - thank you

autumn storm
the fifth symphony
on FM

the splendor of fall
through my window I can see
rich red maple trees

morning commute
enjoying the stars
peek through wispy clouds

.
autumn is over for me
I'm asked to be Santa Claus
cos someone's sick
.

november morning
in the sun's amber glow
the illusion of sunset

battalion of geese
taking wing --

tiny skidmarks on the sky

rainy day –

a different sort

of backache

windy day –

his mother follows

holding her hat

motorbike covers
billow like Superman capes
The sun dodges clouds

warm autumn weekend
yellow and gold leaves
flooding the run off

last leaf
re-learning the art
of letting go

lashing rain
in the morning darkness
the hiss of tyres


edited 4:30 pm. Thanks Alan

muddied leaves
slick beneath my feet
just as in love --
I must tread gingerly

(revised -- thanks, Alan!)

smell of damp invades
garden sodden and withered --

birdsong brightly crisp

police sirens
nightshade berries blood-red
on leafless stems




edited 3:30pm - Thanks Alan.

hurricane passes...
a crow wades through
the grass


It's awfully late in the year for a hurricane!

strolling out
with their new baby -
fluffy clouds drifting

pansies and hot chestnuts
among the market stalls
herbal cough sweets

Friday the 13th
I shoo a black cat
from my driveway

new leaves
on the garden shed -
the cherry tree gives up

***

de nouvelles feuilles
sur l'abri de jardin -
le cerisier renonce

Christmas trees
decorated - red
apples hang in the orchard

morning commute
wisps of white clouds
roll though the sky

.
meeting old friends
1000 renga verses keep us
out of the rain

Roger McGough loves our 1000 Verse Renga Project,
and thinks it's a lovely idea!
.

washing bedclothes
covered in muddy paw prints
hot water bottles

family tree-
another branch falls
into the darkness


my cousin died suddenly last night

the last leaves -
yellow points of light
against the grey

through the trees
the wind
telling an old story

dogs demand comfort
after barking in the rain
my tea is spilled

birthday ginko-
single red passion flower
bounces on the vine

.
soldier’s name
the prime minister suffers
a little mortification


Times Online: November 9, 2009
Gordon Brown ‘mortified’ over misspelt letter of condolence:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/Afghanistan/article6909326.ece
.

bees in final delirium --
then a kiss of deep oblivion

Armistice Day
the wisteria leaves
turn a drab yellow

scritch of the rakes
springy sweet-scented mound
only your feet show

taps
as she lays her rose
a sigh

lichen-covered pavement
the clatter of a dustcart
drowns the birdsong

Another haiga collaboration with my friend Ashe from England. Published in my book, Rustle of bamboo leaves.

an empty nest
rides the autumn wind
newly-wed daughter

fields languish
beneath woodsmoke --
dark roots dreaming of a new spring to come

sleeping late
orange dawn startles me
at the front door

yesterday
winter proclaim its arrival
whirlwind of leaves

scritch of the rakes
springy sweet-scented mound
and then you vanish

pale daybreak--
my son mourns for
a dead bug

cold pale sun
oak leaves rustle
under my feet

.
autumn mizzle
I leave the apartment moody
and be lost to the elements
.

vaporous moon
in a cerulean sky
squirrels taunt the dogs

gray November
a crow stands waiting
in the outfield

fall collection
honor guards unload
caskets

a scourge of starlings
the cat's tail flicks
under the bench




edited - thank you Alan

flakes of black ash
and the scent of gunpowder
misted windows

wood of oaks
laid bare by autumn
- balls of mistletoe

***

bois de chênes
mis à nu par l'automne
- des boules de gui

soft patter
last leaves dropping -
November in full throttle

swans -
two old ladies
gossip

freshly turned earth
on a waterlogged grave
dead chrysanthemums

stillness
lamps become dots of light
on misty streets

ducks seek meagre rations

falling hail dissuades them not

lining up in queue

clouds take turns

pummelling feathered heads

mid morning run
wanting to enjoy outside
just a bit longer

early november
the vees of geese
now lowercase

leaves join
last year's leaves -
feeding the root

cold fur shivers
in the wind from passing cars
shades of autumn larches


*edited*

end of day -
november moon
takes me back

***

fin de journée -
la lune de novembre
me raccompagne

.
intermittent rain
the shirts spend another day
with the crows
.

evening commute
at hill's crest just beyond reach
melon Hunter moon

Full  moon,  this morning
falling asleep in the arms
of the rising sun  

tall grasses

wrestle with the wind --

getting tangled in the sheets

autumn
...but some trees
are evergreen

(for Mandy)

pendulous clouds
blanket fields with dark rain
dog walkers huddle

turning
towards winter path
leaving behind – words
 
-
For Mandy

morning coffee
her autumn breath joins
rising fog

early drive
full moons tilts toward
blinking power pole

for mandy smith

sunlit warm wood floor
shadow of a falling leaf -
this fragile moment

sunlit treetops
over the football pitch
a rainbow smile

Notice:

Mandy Smith of http://mandysmeanderings.blogspot.com/ an esteemed contributor of the seasonal blogs for a long time, is going into a hospice and will not be returning.
Her intention was to delete her blog but, urged not to do so, has asked a friend to take it over and keep the contents online.

She has emailed many of her contacts and asked to say that she does not want anyone to mourn for her but thanks those who have made contact with her over recent years.

Our thanks and appreciatiation to Mandy for her contribution, and blessings and prayers for her.

Beatrice V

November darkness
a shower of meteors
no rain tonight

Autumn Haiku 2008 ©Mandy Smith 2008

early morning drive
moon peeks over white cloud cover
in a coal black sky

Brightness
straining through the trees:
tea in full moon

rain beats a rhythm
on an umbrella drum
dry leaf harmony

mowing the last
of the year's growth
dia de los muertos

crawling back to bed
I tried hard to chase
my interrupted dream
upon realizing
it's daylight saving day

their room
fills with silence
this All Souls day
even her unrocking
rocking chair

all saints day
from the corner of my eye
someone    no one

halloween
ghost at the window
...full moon

rain pelts down
soaking bonfire ashes
mournful church bells

leaves changing colour
this is it -
black spot delivered

.
halloween takeout
a ghostly spined T-shirt boy
gets his mom to order
.

roadside pumpkins
in the grey morning light
a ferris wheel creaks



edited 12:54

.

devil's night
the fridge takes the hindmost
into my vigil

Devil's Night

hindmost link
.

on this eve
of All Souls --
some more restless than others



[happy halloween . . .]

autumns sky's shine bright
jewels of heaven lead the way
Cassiopeia,queen rules mirrored in light

autumn evening
enjoying that my front yard
is not a leaf vortex

coal tits chatter
in morse-code staccato
squirrels gather beech nuts

Colour coated tree
on a cultivated field
autumn journey

autumn rain
water heading back
to the lake

last rise reached
vista opens wide --

my breathing staggers like a fool

Autumn Leaves

beneath the oaks
I walk a bed of dead leaves -
crushed fired glass

Photo autumn leaves ground by pkirrage

.
night-tide
the startled rook calls out
a similar prayer to mine


The 1000 Verse Renga Project

solitary crow
perched on the bird table
cat won't walk past

at last!
sleep -
leaves off the sycamore tree

slow afternoon jaunt
enjoying the brisk air

A forest trail
dry leaves whisper
stillness

shrouded in mist
the cemetery ìs silent
three magpies saunter

silver light October moon stitches the sky

morning toilette-
shocked at how things have sagged
in the last year

equinox:
wind beats a drum
sunflowers lie drunkenly

On a moon  mirror                        
they slowly shed their dress,
Chinese-shadow trees
reflections of times past
the melancholy fall of leaves

. 

clouds form
as the wind shifts
chestnuts shiver

Sun rise
through dust-covered leaves:
sneezing

CHHAT HAIKU

Like them, the moon
impatient to bow to
the rising sun

CHHAT HAIKU

Offering the sun
obeisance in water--
chhat worshippers

CHHAT HAIKU

Waxing crescent
searches the setting sun
worshipped in water

soggy weekend
orange and red leaves
mound next to the curb

wind-blown dry leaves
skitter along the path
my new hat

warm scent rising
a rainbow at my feet -
Indian summer

hues of twilight draw near
just one last dance . . .

under sodium glare
the wind bends trees sideways
dry leaves skitter

It’s raining leaves
outside my window
hot feet on the radiator

you alone stand bare
amidst a row of chestnuts
dressed in sunlight

bright against the blue
in your upper branches -
a school of salmon

Red Roses By Her Cheek

pale white hands sweetly folded
red roses by her cheek
love has gone with summers end


rain against the window panes
weeps, weeps for such perfection
oh, please let her not lie in the dark


Autumn Haiku, Contemporary Haiku

amongst turning leaves
unseen blackbirds chatter
distant dogs bark

autumn rain
rushing into the runoff
red and gold leaves

burning leaves -
smoke
writhing

three magpies
pick at roadkill
next door's kid's point

Bridge of autumn leaves
crossing slow stream
from past to future

the thickness
of wetland bushes -
a jay's call in autumn morning

flicking back
the autumn sun -
dragonfly

midday break
single leaf falls next to me
and shares the bench

rowan tree
ablaze
...listening for God's voice

rain-soaked fence
turns green with mosses
boiler-outlet clouds

In perfect harmony
stone, water and flower
plastic water lily

I see myself
in fallen leaves
and drizzle

tree full
except where there isn't
that one leaf

autumn afternoon-
kids in short sleeves roll in leaves
during recess

dustmen come
before the day brightens
dawn chorus alarm

For the victims of the recent natural calamities specially in the Philippines and elsewhere around the world, I offer them my haiga above. Artwork is by Ashe Wood of England and is from my book, Rustle of bamboo leaves.

the sun today
reminds me what I had
and what's coming,
but will soon leave me
with a cold autumn night

butal day's end-
sinking onto the couch
with hot chocolate

shadows swim
just beneath the surface
memories of things left unsaid --

dogs strain on the lead
a collie trots across graves
filled with poplar leaves

.
very long day
a fox with Clooney's voice
says good night
.

slender hoops
bent birches
not easy to be caressed by snow and ice --


(we had a freak snowstorm yesterday -- October 18)

against a melon sky
curling in against the chill
last passion flower

hot tears again
after being passed over
when is it my turn?

yellows and brown
tint the sycamore trees
tulip bulbs are planted

Still a beauty
though autumn
aging

piles of leaves
on the bonfire
a curl of smoke

bomb site
rusty girders twisted
autumnal trees

tween night and dawns edge
silvery moon tides
sway twist bend
barren branches
in a soundless wind

cool night
sweet wood smoke rises
flickering shapes
take turns
crackle hiss

woven ice fairies
spin leap dance
singing
come come follow us
under the cold moon's glow

coming home
the roar of a distant
waterfall

Mainichi (Japan) Daily News
October 10, 2009

frost cuts deep
lacy ice patterns

scent of cedarwood
the sound of chainsaws
drowns the crows


(edited)

sex harassment
in office or elsewhere
no laughing matter

inflatable pool -
dead leaves
in and out

***

piscine gonflable -
des feuilles mortes
dedans et dehors

morning commute-
golden lab and its owner
romp in the rain

There’s no lawn
only autumn leaves
eyes width open

old factory
derelict with broken glass
late poppy blooms

stones in a pocket
the topography of dreams
I carry through the day --

miserable day
tracking my foul mood
needing a twinkie

the wind blows
leaves finally released
from clinging

poplar leaves
drifting over granite headstones
scarlet rosehips

crisp morning
my breath races me
to the car

this morning's birdsong --
tinged with frost

outside winds tug the last leaves
as I turn the page
of yet another report
wondering if any wine
is left in the fridge --

sunlight glints
through yellow leaves
chestnuts fall

in slips autumn
out from the faded green
a warming glow

honey gold autumn
lake ripples in the cool breeze
feline predator
chickadees raucous warning
feathers fly at the feeder

First Frost

first frost...
whipped cream melts
into my coffee

All the falling leaves
Carpet the unmown grasses
Nature's tapestry

Ron Eklof

a dusting of frost
the scent of coffee
on my fingers

on the darkest nights
the moon allures me
to gaze upon it for hours
and i try to forget
the emptiness of my life


Pamela A. Babusci
first pub. in American Tanka
& in: A Thousand Reasons

cool autumn day
double amputee aunt
tells me life is great

crows guard a grave
a breeze sends silk flowers
rolling over turf

two black skulls
on the door knocker
pink cherry blossoms

house of the skulls
withered cherry leaves
tremble

One macabre haiku from spring and a matching one for autumn

.
autumn showers
we discuss cutting scenes
with Anthony Head

haiku joint authors:
Alan Summers & Eylesa (Dashi Sushi staff member)

Anthony Head was in my local sushi bar (Platform 2, Bath Spa Railway Station) where we've previously held renga and haiku events. He was discussing Buffy, as well as the Sweeny Todd movie.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Watcher aka Rupert Giles aka Anthony Head:
http://buffy.wikia.com/wiki/Rupert_Giles

.

the reflection
of a still fan -
autumn's first leaves

children in the park
starlings congregate
at the chip shop

condensation
on the bedroom window
raindrops glisten

evening infusion -
the window of the kitchen
veiled of vapor


***

tisane du soir -
la vitre de la cuisine
voilée de vapeur

the river
smudged by mist and drizzle
dissolves into twilight

Breath

Doves coo, as
Jets overhead
Have captured gazes

My breath
Like seasons
Flew

I dread
the dark demons
that chase my dreams away
your touch is so real,
am I in love again?

withered gardens
like wet flesh -
a killing frost

hunched crows
stoop to feed -
claw the forest floor

Photo Crow 04 by yeimaya

crows roost
in yellow-leaves birches
squirrels scamper

in the blue above
two eagles
swoop and arc --
a recent death below

again, I find myself
on this river-side bench
in the rain
with no reason
to move on

Modern English Tanka V3 No4 Summer 2009

pine shavings curl
in the hand plane
mackerel sky

tea steams the window
backdraft leaves whirl
in the gutter



edited - thank you, Alan

pale pendulous moon
heavy with promise -
cold nights alone

frost on the hives
monks in their cells
meditating

wet leaves, limp, black
glistening -
a broken mirror


thanks diana

footsteps crunch
under yellowing beeches
spiky husks underfoot

*

a candle blush
caps the crystal dark sky
cracks the dawn

*

.
lifting me away
from the computer
to my kitchen window
the early morning honks
of migrating canada geese
.

I know now
why our embrace
was so tight
your last farewell
to fleeting life

migration
this unnamed flock
no less beautiful

sparrow song
the rustle of falling leaves
in Boythorpe wood

.
my new sister
even before the leaves turn
planning christmas

.

autumn morning -
racing cat
for the sunny chair

dismembered magpie
left on the cemetery path
horse chestnuts

CHILL

Full moon
yellowing leaves
autumn chill

summer fades
into memory
meandering leaves

sound of church bells
the songthrush bases a snail
against a stone

autumn wind-
dead leaves roll
down the sidewalk

.
boiling eggs
late brunch and a film
with a watchful fly
.
Buzz note:
If flies disappeared from the face of the earth the human race would follow in a matter of hours.
.

a clatter
as the wind gets up
next door's dustbin

a moorhen
crosses the pond
- rebounds


***

une poule d'étang
traverse l'étang
- ricochets

beneath a somber pine
bright turquoise '57 Chevy --
eye delight!

two trunks embracing
another leaf drops
from the plum tree

new wishes same stars


Pamela A. Babusci
pub. in Raw Nervz Haiku
many yrs ago

sky gazing
Big Dipper pouring
stars
upon
stars


Pamela A. Babusci
pub. in Persimmon
many yrs ago

dusk as i walk my shadow passes me


Pamela A. Babusci
previously pub.

me and my pregnant friend

worry that our tomatoes

will never ripen

dry leaves

hearing the blackbirds

in the shadows

Autumn Forest Ground

beneath the trees
a corrugated mat
of rusted leaves

Photo Autumn Forest Ground by elventear

mayflies
swarming in the last
rays of sunlight

birdsong
on the morning breeze
an aeroplane's drone

first really cool night
remembering what box
the blankets are in

rusty smell embedded
in my fingers --
dead-heading marigolds

autumn dew
bird seed sprouting
in the old feeder

a yellow leaf rocks
on a current of air
over the hard road

October 2008

vanilla ice cream
melting over the hot pie:
smiley faces


--R.K.SINGH

bright arum soldiers
standing guard beneath the shrubs
black cat squeezes past

catharsis-
cleaning out the garden bed
mulching for next year

Cold night
Venus and Moon
close together

autumnal bureaucracy
I pick at old tape stuck to my desk --

above
a withered stalk
the tiny child's smile

smoke
climbs into the sky
my tea goes cold

Northern sunrise
tree, bush and field
flash an African savannah

a blonde girl smiles
first I smell her perfume
then the cigarette

arashi
wind-driven rain
silks that wrap and fold
the storm within --

early morning commute
wilting roses glistening
in the moonlight

daddy and daughter
planting gebera daisy
under the sunflowers

goldfinch gathering thistledown
terra-cotta pot gathering rain


Pamela A. Babusci
9/29/09

raindrops suspended on the wind chimes their shadows too


Pamela A. Babusci 9/29/09

lonely tonight i drink all the moonbeams


Pamela A. Babusci
pub. in Raw Nervz Haiku
many yrs ago

cobwebs
in the greenhouse
grapes are still sour

Waving down
a leaf settles between
her breasts

Besides allergies
so many other complaints:
sudden autumn change

the boy's sad song -
a heart-shaped leaf
blows to my feet

soon the stars will appear silent sparrows


Pamela A. Babusci
pub. in Frogpond
many yrs ago

no way to change his mind i prune all the lilacs


Pamela A. Babusci
pub. in Frogpond
many yrs ago

teacup empty my mind full of disappointments


Pamela A. Babusci
pub. in Frogpond
many years ago

blackberries
fall from hedgerow brambles
grey squirrel scampers

on the corner
yellow lamplight pools
against the darkness --

rain pearls clinging
the release --
then oblivion

there it is again
a feast for my nostrils
woodsmoke on night air

pulling down windows
against evening's cool breath
the muffled crickets

suddenly sunlight
bright strip of blue
a fleeting break
my hopes revive
at your kind words

Collecting
fallen twigs on road
half-clad women

Sensing winter
in the falling leaves:
breezy sunrise

.
autumn renga
all the library verse notelets
like leaves

Two shisan renga were completed at Radstock Community Festival yesterday!
.

bird entrails
displayed on the garden path
acer palmatum leaves

Misty Morning

mist rising
along the water line
the river's breath

Photo Misty Morning by NWM

daybreak -
a pink border
hems the horizon

***

naissance du jour -
un liseré rose
ourle l'horizon

fallen trees
covered in ivy -
dappled shade

low autumn light -
dying leaves dance
in the breeze

prayer flags
on a balmy night
silently
i become one
with the universe


Pamela A. Babusci
pub. in Ribbons
& in: A Thousand Reasons

clouds torn apart -
on the stream
blue patches

leaves blanket the graves of strangers
i have forgotten spring's radiance


Pamela A. Babusci
pub. in Oneself
many yrs ago

clouds escape over the mountains leaving me the thunder


Pamela A. Babusci
pub. in Frogpond
& in Oneself
many years ago

lavender seeds
scattered on the pavement
a magpie preens

paint brush sits idle
by my side
a shaft of light
breaks sparrow-gray skies

I remember you
a feeling like
leaf kissing the pond

avenue sycamores
shedding their bark
the mottled moon


Pamela A. Babusci
pub. in Brussels Sprout
many years ago

I see myself
in the shape of a leaf...
falling

We laugh
Eating our apple pie
Like fools

.
morning sunshine
the alphabet spaghetti
can't spell
.

equinox
night day become one
earth sighs

under the weather
wishing Indian summer
would warm up my bones

spiders' webs
glisten in the sun
contrails in the sky

soft brown form
spreads wings
honeyed coos

gentle sighs
sad song of love
fill damp air

four winds
separating the chimes
tonight i will hang out
my blues
to dry

Pamela A. Babusci
part of a tanka seq.
Four Winds
pub. in Ribbons

autumn

the sun rises late
i pull the sheets up higher
turn the pillow over

gerald england

wrap her in dark skin
cover her nakedness
summer's last gift

heavens lights
southern sky
cool crisp air
covered autumns cloak

In a misty field
Kids stand like wondrous statues
Silent from afar

indolent stag
basks in the embrace
of dry grasses

In memory
soaking the Sun
battery

autumn day dreams
plotting the perfect garden bed
bulbs dance in my head

my mood softens
flicker of falling leaves
upon the wall

come wrap her in autumns dark skin
lay atop her cold breast
the last of summers gifts
cover her poor scared nakedness

hushed sighs fill the twilight
days grow short the sunset near
dark hours softly sing
black water over stone and rock

fast cold rain
rivers move slow
first sting of frost

a 'v' of geese
flies over, heading south-
my thoughts follow them...

in cane or wheelchair
they sing at the karaoke
in the hospice center
for brief magical moments
they're Sinatra or Doris Day

Sketchbook, Vol. 4, No. 4
July/Agust 2009

climbing vines
russet-tinged
love lines from the earth

drifting leaves --
delicate calling cards
from the north

cicadas
deepening
the forest's silence

(3rd place sketchbook kukai: cicadas)

weekend evening
chatting with younger sister
about mortality

candescent moon...
Buddha dripping
liquid light


Pamela A. Babusci
Basho Haiku Festival
Japan 2003

autumn night
pulling up stars
from the wishing well


Pamela A. Babusci
9/22/09

bamboo whisk
the tea master's
fluid hands


Pamela A. Babusci
HM in the HPNC Haiku Contest
sev. yrs ago

long shadows across my path
before surgery

after the flood:
trees hung
with strange blossom

autumn tundra
the colors deepen
near the shadows

autumn sunset
the clay’s shapes on the riverbed

autumn wind -
making kites
of the leaves

conference lunch time
circling the labynrith
with a cool breeze

.
autumn chill I bite into a bacon sarnie even deeper
.

autumn wind
a sparrow riding
my car antenna


Pamela A. Babusci
prev. pub.

.
freesias as space ships!
a hanging basket reminds me
of walks to school
.

autumn equinox -
I leave the dandelion clock
wishing for nothing

autumn equinox
the fallen leaf
half-green, half-gold

bursting through a web:
the postman
bringing news

Canada Geese
the summer folded
away in their wings

Photo Canada Geese in the Clouds - V Formation by Henry McLin

first frost
instead of silk
flannel

.
tea haiku
even the trees have giant teabags
for the fayre

High Tea:
http://www.theartsfestival.co.uk/Programme/20thsept.html

dustbins clatter
as an urban fox hides
from homeward clubbers

I’m a leaf in the wind
see me glide
the symphony ebb away

football fever
she hugs his pillow
for company

rainy dawn -
a dead fly
near the toaster


***

aube pluvieuse -
une mouche morte
près du grille-pain

pink Cadillac convertible
a few autumn leaves
take a ride


Pamela A. Babusci
9/19/09

they're all turning brown
tops of the canopy trees
dying of old age
our stooped snow-topped neighbor
implores us to plant more

clouds cloak the sun
the postman waves, whistles,
sports a yellow jumper

in the park
children star-jumping -
maple leaves falling

sunny day drizzle
pouring down on the taxiway
flood within me

the breeze picks up -
Gnome under the fuchsias
sips his beer

gingerly
first frost shimmers
barren flower beds

exhale summer
breath deep scents
burning leaves

crack crack
acorns fall
squirrels autumn horde

wind in the chimney -
broken things
race along the street

Gossamer threads
The intricate shaping of space
In falling light

breathing in
dew from
chrysanthemums
still empty
after lovemaking


Pamela A. Babusci
A Thousand Reasons 2009

so lonely
i stir the windchimes
evening rain


Pamela A. Babusci
pub. in "Oneself" chapbook

on the waterlily
remains of a dragonfly
morning stillness


Pamela A. Babusci
prev. pub. in Evergreen (Japan)

a red leaf falling
louder
than a thousand drums

.

tree shadows
they stretch across morning
traffic

.

green caterpillar
barrels across dark tarmac
yellow sycamore leaves

hungry hummingbird
flits beyond the feeder
still as statues we watch
a steady troop of ants
drink deeply til it drowns

divorce plan
a broken branch totters
in the autumn wind

From my book, Rustle of bamboo leaves

to slip on a wool sweater
is a sweet pleasure --
like holding hands
with a child

airing on the line
corduroy jacket --
first scarecrow?

after
the digging's done:
a first robin

not noticing
the leaves until now -
autumn wind

overcast -
pointing out sunflowers
my youngest son

in the hedgerow,
Pigeons and blackberries
purple spatters

hanging on blue wings
the heron drops
into the poet's mind

Star map
as clear as ever
I look through you

woodsmoke floats
moon rises --
I could swoon

leaves in the wind
the old woman's sighing
as prayer

late night read
pulling the blanket tighter
as the story unfolds

empty shells on waves
once more reclaimed by falls tides
gives way to new birth

Like apples
The mind comes to stillness
And drops

hot afternoon

the cyclist’s shadow

floods the gutter

the rain

stopping shy

of the tomatoes

between shed & tree
a mouthful
of cobweb

raucous cawing
a crow's silhouette
against the sky

~~
red tailed hawk
flies on sailer's tack
high pitched wind
~~

in the old
vicarage garden
they’ve cut down
the apple tree that bore
such rich, sweet fruit

bracing breeze
lifting a rainbow of leaves
to dance at dawn

cricket song
long accustomed
to this ceaseless yearning

a quartet
of magpies -
not a song amongst them

double-decker bus
along a single-decker avenue --
beech nuts and branches

the dead are gathering
in wind swept corners
and gutters

Another leaf hit the ground
it’s not the end of the world
or is it?

early autumn -
in only a few short days
these leaves have turned
for change in you
I've waited a lifetime

Modern English Tanka V3 No3 Spring 2009

early morning drive
enjoying the crack of dawn
as I crest the hill

.
small hours autumn -
the slightly cold nose
of a pregnant tabby
.

.
book shop window
a cat licks a dog-eared
‘Old Possum’s Book’
.
Possum pages:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Possum's_Book_of_Practical_Cats
http://www.moggies.co.uk/html/oldpssm.html
.

pruning old branches
with a new shape in mind
how twisted we've grown

boisterous children
with new school pens
and conkers on strings

troops embark -
new leaves
fall onto dead ones

fall Egg Harbor

buzzards circle the water tower

fall twilight storm
the red brightens in the drunk’s face

last cut of the year --
the scent of grass
fills the air

september heat -
a shower of dry leaves
in the rising wind

***

chaleur de septembre -
une pluie de feuilles sèches
dans le vent qui monte

the first leaves fall
when they are still green
how can this be?
you spinning in that wheelchair
after vertigo treatments

The autumn looks like
some red and mellow grapes
while they are creating
the warm wine of September
with its immoral flavour

where the midday shadows had lain -
a ring of dead leaves

The sweetness
of Mother Nature
no child bypass my Cherry plum

heron yawns
its beak scissoring the air -
leaves fall around him

bundles of post
through the letterbox
a sycamore leaf

Unanswered questions
swept away in a whirlwind --
fallen leaves

.

cemetery wall
Victoria plums overhang
unexpected snack

A joyous sight for my eyes
nicely stacked
chopped wood

morning commute
melon sun swoops upward
and burns golden yellow

the waning sounds of crickets
in blue moonlight & falling leaves


Pamela A. Babusci 9/10/09

what words would
convince you to stay?
this autumn heart
shedding leaves
like a scarlet maple


Pamela A. Babusci
first pub. in: American Tanka
& in: A Thousand Reasons

ravens raindrops falling from the dead tree


Pamela A. Babusci
first pub. in Woodnotes

Autumn berries
Too numerous to count
Like stars

autumn -
in a quiet stairway
a butterfly folded

the cat, fur bristled
at the open window
craneflies against glass

Bench and blessed sunspot
although visible decay
calmly looking forward

autumn shift-
sun pours into the bathroom
after the shower

white blossom
fushia throat
last hummingbird
alights --

conferring with the moon
white belly of a squirrel --
in the gloom
an exclamation point

now third grade files in
freshly pressed uniform
can't swallow again

the last sip of
chrysanthemum tea...
she hides her fears
under the weight
of a Noh mask


Pamela A. Babusci
A Thousand Reasons

chrysanthemum moon
i peel off another layer
of sorrow
that nobody
will notice


Pamela A. Babusci
A Thousand Reasons

not a single star
out of place
in the Milky Way...
the garden gate
left ajar all night


Pamela A. Babusci
Tanka Splendor Awards
& in: A Thousand Reasons

crows become restless
gathering in murder
--in a moment they are gone

overhead the cacophony of sound
together they fly in formation
--only the swift and strong shall return

the uncertainty
of the weathervane -
autumn wind

eggshell skies
in the cemetery
two fritillaries

the sound of plucked guitar strings
ripened fruit

Ladybird unfolds its wing
at the last straw
mountaineer with a goal

first day of school
green chucks dancing
at the bus stop

Orion Rising

quietly
in the growing darkness
Orion rising

salford station

salford station
watching the trees
depart for wigan

© 2009, gerald england

.
sun shower
I prepare for a dear friend's
posthumous book launch

the night sky
tonight
one more star

river of stars -
I wave both hello & goodbye
to one blinking


.

My lovely friend Mary Palmer died of cancer last Summer.

I saw her two weeks before she died and we worked on her haiku selection in a book due to be launched this evening at Waterstone's, Bath Branch, U.K.

Mary Palmer: http://www.awenpublications.co.uk/mary_palmer.html

.

september showers -
cars splash spiky pop-art
across the pavement

A last jerk
in a spider’s cob
full life

last of the garden mint
under nimbostratus clouds
skeletal leaves

unfinished poems
remain unwritten
Labor day

slipping through clouds
full moon rides the night --
a certain slant of light lingers

coolness lingers on a dewy day
loon mourning in the lake
--one red leaf falls

last dip
ocean blue-black
ice water

early morning sound
exodus geese
swim streams cool air

morning glory late bloom
blue white trumpet
harlequin of fall

from the window
an autumn afternoon -
my shadow lies on the bed

Blackberries
Ripe and plump and beautiful
Everywhere!

autumn dusk -
one hundred million dreams
beneath our feet

buddleia spires
last bastion of nectar
Red Admiral

I fall in love
with her picture
in my computer screen
starved-for-love syndrome
strikes again

front bank -
the heron strikes the pose
for the walkers

***

berge en regard -
le héron prend la pose
pour les promeneurs

how can you
stay out of my reach
the daisies dried up
and I am stuck on this page
of my live journal

Fading warmth
We sit beneath the trees
And wait

autumn light
the shadows of leaves
follow the wind

autumn bus stop
the moon trembles in the coffee cup

fresh grave
filled with autumn rain
water lilies

.
the Paddington train
two more than a dozen
yellow red-tinted roses
.

Autumn:
a late bee
checks each fuchsia bell

so my friend
when will you visit me?
my flowers are withering
on the trellis and all the
geese have darkened the sky


Pamela A. Babusci
Tanka Splendor Awards
& in: A Thousand Reasons

breathing in
dew from
chrysanthemums
still empty
after lovemaking

Pamela A. Babusci
pub. in MET
& in: A Thousand Reasons

breaking
the red lacquered comb
in two...
deep autumn
& still no letter

Pamela A. Babusci
pub. in red lights
& in: A Thousand Reasons

spider silks billow
on the wind
laundry rattles and cracks --


* * *


in the channel
one boat drifts
between shores --
I know that feeling

garden path

left bruised by

berry-fed birds

Weather these days
joy and sorrow
patchwork quilt

-

inspiration by Gillena Cox

walking
through autumn leaves
I see the future
on an elemental level
as certain

Modern English Tanka V3 No3 Spring 2009

carried in the wind
dead leaves
in her greying hair

picking blackberries
my wind-tangled hair
amongst the brambles

autumn chill in the boardwalk’s footsteps

evening breeze
comes for dinner with
a bucket of rain

fall morning
sunflowers drooping to rest

early morning mist
my garden cloaked in grey
-- bright yellow of the finch!

morning walk -
the shape of windfalls
in dew

puddles:
making a jigsaw
of the sky

rain again -
snail and son
chasse across the window

wind and rain
the cat sleeps in the spare room
overnight

withered lamb's ear spikes
erectly impotent
as daylight retreats

cool night-fingered hair
pulsing cicadas
time's arrhythmia

My Haiku Way

a mellowing landscape
of darker, deeper shades
in my wardrobe

.

.

mild chill
the holding of hoverflies
at the canal gates

.

One of my favourite late breakfasts is the Captain Pugwash
at the Lock Inn
(click highlighted 'Lock Inn' for wonderful images)
.

Alan

http://area17.blogspot.com

.

turn our backs
on the rising sun
the shadows
shortened by the time
to grow another time