Wednesday, December 20, 2017

Haiku of the Day ~ Atop the old pine

    
Atop the old pine
    Turkey Vultures sun themselves
        in the morning sun.  
    
    

Tuesday, December 12, 2017

Haiku of the Day ~ Overhead I hear

     
Overhead I hear
        the drone of helicopters;
    the hills are burning!
   
    

Friday, December 01, 2017

Haiku of the Day ~ Morning dew below

    
Morning dew below
    saffron colored skies above
        the cat beside me. 
   
   

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Haiku of the Day ~ Beside the window

     
Beside the window
    gold sunlight illuminates
        a napping Ragdoll.
    
    

Tuesday, November 28, 2017

Haiku of the Day ~ The cat listens to

    
The cat listens to
    the rhythmic sound of raindrops
        against the window. 
    
    

Friday, November 03, 2017

Haiku of the Day ~ After the dawn rain

          
After the dawn rain
    the livid clouds give way to 
        periwinkle skies.
         
         

Thursday, November 02, 2017

Haiku of the Day ~ November morning

            
November morning, 
    palm trees bathed in leaden light,
        waiting on the rain.
         
            

Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Haiku of the Day ~ Three-thirty A.M.

    
Three-thirty A.M.
    the steady ostinato 
        of
              descending
                              rain. 
           
               

Monday, October 30, 2017

Haiku of the day ~ Fog hugs the valley,

   
Fog hugs the valley,
    bluegray clouds top the mountains; 
        San Gabriel blues. 
  
~~~~~~~~~~

Fog hugs the valley,
   bluegray clouds top the mountains.
        Dawn: cold and silent. 

Tuesday, October 10, 2017

Haiku of the Day ~ She walked out the door

    
She walked out the door
        at the turning of the leaves.
    (The night air turned cold.)
   
    

Friday, October 06, 2017

Haiku of the Day ~ My eyes open to

     
My eyes open to 
   golden light on the palm trees
        and clear sapphire skies. 
   
     

Tuesday, October 03, 2017

Haiku of the Day ~ Black clouds, gray mountains,

    
Black clouds, gray mountains,
    the smell of rain in the air,
        a white cat purring... 
    
    

Thursday, September 28, 2017

Haiku of the Day ~ Autumn days grow short

   
Autumn days grow short;
    I cross the river Uji,
        under a grey sky.
     
    

Wednesday, September 13, 2017

Tanka of the Day ~ This old coat of mine

    
This old coat of mine
    smelling of stale cigarettes
        with its torn pocket
    a reminder of my youth
        and many forgotten sins. 
   

   
(July, 2015)

(Incomplete) Tank of the Day ~ Unable to sleep

    
Unable to sleep
    I listen throughout the night
        to the silent song
            of falling snow in my yard.
     
    With the soft dawn ... 

                             

(Sometime before 2010)

Tuesday, September 12, 2017

Haiku of the Day ~ The squirrels in my head

     
The squirrels in my head;
         running and jumping around.
    "What was I doing?"
    
    
(December 2014) 


Monday, September 11, 2017

Haiku of the Day ~ The silent voices

   
The silent voices
    and echoing memories
        of those who have left. 
   
   
(July, 2013)

Friday, September 08, 2017

Haiku of the Day ~ Sakura

   
Sakura
    falling in the breeze,
        life goes on.
   
   
(April, 2013)

Thursday, September 07, 2017

Haiku of the Day ~ Over the mountains

    
Over the mountains
   white thunder clouds are forming:
        sultry siesta. 
    
    

Haiku of the Day ~ Listen to

    
Listen to 
    naught but emptiness
        and silence. 
   
   
(January, 2013) 
  

Tuesday, September 05, 2017

Haiku of the Day ~ Smoke and morning clouds,

    
Smoke and morning clouds, 
     the smell of burning mesquite;
           the hills are ablaze.
   
   

Thursday, August 31, 2017

Haiku of the Day ~ The overnight rain

         
The overnight rain
    lingers in the morning air
         ere the heat of day. 
      

Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Haiku of the Day ~ Over the mountains

      
Over the mountains
     white thunder clouds are forming. 
         (a hot afternoon)
     
  

Thursday, August 24, 2017

Haiku of the Day ~ Raw cold morning air,

     
Raw cold morning air, 
    mountains and pale silver clouds
        ushered in the dawn. 
   

Thursday, August 17, 2017

Haiku of the Day ~ In the afternoon

                   
In the afternoon
     metal ants with round black feet
             creep down the freeway. 
         
        

Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Haiku of the Day ~ The afternoon breeze

    
The afternoon breeze 
    blew the dark gray clouds away;
        bright warm sunlight.  
  

Tanka of the Day ~ Dark gray clouds greet me

   
Dark gray clouds greet me 
    when I wake from my slumber, 
    a bird starts to sing;
        the valley is deep in shadows,
        sunlight on a distant peak. 
   
   

Monday, August 14, 2017

Haiku of the Day ~ I open my eyes

     
I open my eyes
       (a car rumbles down the street)
    to gray morning light. 
    

Wednesday, August 09, 2017

Haiku of the Day ~ Humid desert winds,

     
Humid desert winds, 
thunderclouds hug the mountains.
(Distant thunderclaps) 
    

Monday, August 07, 2017

Haiku of the Day ~ California days:

 
California days: 
The wind playing with the palms.
Bright clear pale-blue skies. 
     

Thursday, July 27, 2017

Tanka of the Day ~ "Hoo, hoo" chants the owl,

    
"Hoo, hoo" chants the owl,
    among the moon lit shadows
    a field mouse dances.
    
On silent wings death swoops down;
    Lux aeterna luceat eis. 
    

Tuesday, July 25, 2017

Haiku of the Day ~ At four AM the

       
At four AM the 
    dogs wakens and softly growls;
         the bear has returned. 
    
     

Thursday, July 20, 2017

Haiku of the Day ~ Covered by gray smog

   
Covered by gray smog
    the brown-green mountains stand guard
        over the valley. 
   
   

Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Haiku of the Day ~ Tunes cascading out

   
Tunes cascading out 
    of the old dusty dashboard.
        (Farmer in his truck)
   
   

Haiku of the Day ~ Tree filtered sunlight

   
Tree filtered sunlight
        streams through the open window;
    morning has arrived. 
   
   

Wednesday, July 12, 2017

Haiku of the Day ~ Shimmering heat waves

    
Shimmering heat waves
    raising from the black asphalt
        with sage on the air.
    
   

Friday, June 30, 2017

Tanka of the Day ~ Sipping rye whiskey

    
Sipping rye whiskey
    at the end of day.
    I hear an angel;
        her voice floats over the din
        of random conversations. 
   

Thursday, June 29, 2017

Haiku of the Day ~ Smoke and morning clouds,

     
Smoke and morning clouds,
    the smell of burning mesquite;
        the hills are ablaze.
    
   

Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Haiku of the Day ~ In the afternoon

    
In the afternoon
    with  the dying of the wind
        I embrace the heat. 
    

Friday, June 23, 2017

Haiku of the Day ~ I pass the time by

    
I pass the time by
        counting bugs on the windshield;
    such wanton carnage. 
   
    

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

Haiku of the Day ~ A hot eastern wind

     
A hot eastern wind;
          blue skies and sun baked mountains.
    (The summer solstice.)
          
        

Tuesday, June 20, 2017

Tanka of the Day ~ An old brown shoe-box

     
An old brown shoe-box
    in the back of the closet,
            full of memories
      forgotten and neglected
              with the turning of the world. 
     
   

Monday, June 19, 2017

Haiku of the Day ~ Such a small object

      
Such a small object
    to trigger old memories.
    (That June day was cold.)
   
    

Thursday, June 15, 2017

Haiku of the Day ~ Watching the ice melt

    
Watching the ice melt
    diluting the Black Label.
(fading memories).
   
    

Tuesday, June 06, 2017

Tanka of the Day ~ At the coming night

         
At the coming night, 
    with the closing of the day,
        I lay down my head.
    (A billion stars in the sky
        lights a path to my repose.)
      
   

Monday, June 05, 2017

Haiku of the Day ~ Monday morning haze,

    
Monday morning haze,
Southern California June,
    prelude to summer.
   

Haiku of the Day ~ (A table for one.)

    
(A table for one.)
With a Scotch in front of me
    I feel less lonely,
   

Thursday, June 01, 2017

Haiku of the Day ~ Outside my window

 
Outside my window
the music of falling rain
    (the first day of June).

On the first of June;
    the music of falling rain
        outside my window.

On the first of June
    I wake to the falling rain
        outside my window. 
   
    

Thursday, May 25, 2017

Haiku of the Day ~ We pull into camp

     
We pull into camp 
  as the sun begins its descent
     behind the mountains. 
   

Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Haiku of the Day ~ (We pull to the side)

   
(We pull to the side)
Feeding the radiator
    the ice chest water.
    

Tuesday, May 23, 2017

Haiku of the Day ~ At the Tastee-Freez

     
At the Tastee-Freez 
    we loiter on the benches 
         with melting ice-cream.
   

Monday, May 22, 2017

Haiku of the Day ~ Guarding the highway

    
Guarding the highway
    under the piercing sunlight 
        a lone Yucca waits...
   

Friday, May 19, 2017

Tanka of the Day ~ As the sun raises

   
As the sun raises 
        we descend from the mountain
    (passing  a Semi).
            At the junction we veer left, 
                north across the Mojave. 
   
  

Tuesday, May 16, 2017

Haiku of the Day ~ Thirsty I search through

 
Thirsty I search through 
        the tin cans in the ice chest.
    (Where is the church key?) 

 
   

Friday, May 12, 2017

Haiku of the Day ~ With both windows down.

 
With both windows down.
      Hot desert wind in my face.
(two forty air con.)
 
  

Haiku of the Day ~ Summer comes early

 
Summer comes early
        (lonely, arid, wild, and bare)
    to the high desert.
 
     

Wednesday, May 10, 2017

Haiku of the Day ~ In my face, cool air.

     
In my face, cool air.
        We turn left out of Bishop.
    (the highway ascends)
   
        

Thursday, May 04, 2017

Haiku of the Day ~ High Desert Haiku

High Desert Haiku



As the city sleeps
We pull out of the driveway
with headlights on.

Aroma of sage
makes its way through the wind-wing,
(the desert greets us).

Along the highway
(in the distance, bare mountains)
a rusty wire fence.

We eat lunch.
Sitting in the shade
of the truck.

In my face and nose
the hot wind off the asphalt.
Route Three-Ninety-Five.

Nauseous from the heat
they bought me a Bubble Up
to sip in the truck.

We forsake Lone Pine
for the black asphalt ribbon.
Big Pine awaits us.


We found Manzanar,
before the first Pilgrimage,
abandoned and dry.

~~~   ~~~   ~~~   ~~~

This is a work in progress.  

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Haiku of the Day ~ A transient convergence


A transient convergence.
   

First in winter, then in spring.

   
Do you remember?