#light

light entangled in
a tree---
dances to the wind

#yoga

new teacher from Japan---
his English
is better than my yoga

#dawn

dawn---
the Chrysler Building lights
the sky

#lunch

eating lunch out
on Wall Street---
the sparrows look well fed

#walk

moonless night
on the river walk---
silently he misses her

#carousel

pleasant summer day---
cloud like the top
of a carousel

#red

summer near its end---
I paint the roof
red

#children

broken homes,
single neighbors have children---
just for the weekend

#meter

day moon---
I have no change
for the parking meter

#silence

reading room---
the silence of turned pages
punctuated by snores

[inspired by a haiku Bill Kenney posted in urban-ku yahoo group]

#sunset

sunset---
in the clouds,
my childhood gold fish

#it's a Union Square

long kisses---
they break
to look at the full moon

#ditch

winter sunset
... an old man
digs a ditch

#shadow

walking,
my shadow suddenly scares me---
full moon

#candle

predawn stillness---
a melon scented candle
burns out

#summer grass

summer grass
after the rain---
I walk bare foot

#drumming

stillness---
piercing bricks,
my neighbor's drumming

[inspired by a haiku of Basho: stillness: piercing the rocks, cicadas' voices]


#bumblebee

stop asking me---
do it your way,
bumblebee

#bell

dog keeps barking,
I ring a bell for him---
he stops

#wilted

wilted leaves
where samurai swords
used to pierce

#variation on Basho's haiku 44: "warriors" (1689)

Basho's haiku:

summer grasses grow thick where the warriors used to dream

My haiku:

wilted leaves
where samurai swords
used to pierce

#cigar

thunder storms
herald cool air ---
I light up a cigar

#it's a Union Square

Union Square farmers' market---
a pregnant woman
sizes up melons

#haze

morning haze---
a ferris wheel
cracks the sky

#variation on Basho's haiku 43 (1689)

Basho's haiku:

one paddy planted, I walk away from the willow


My haiku:

one paddy planted---
I am off
to play cricket

#variation on Basho's haiku 42: "spring departs---" (1689)

Basho's haiku:

spring departs and in the eyes of fish tears

My haiku:

summer arrives
and in the eyes of fish
tears---for real

#turtles

hot day---
diving
with yellow sea turtles

#asphalt

The sparrows on asphalt---
almost invisible
at sunset

#dry

dry night---
a firefly tries
to enter my nose

#iron

early morning---
sun light shines
rusted iron

#sunset

sunset---
a red and yellow kite
rises

#tramp

short night---
a tramp had his fill
of empty beer cans

#manatee

the soft look---
a manatee
had a lot of mall practice

#sparrows

the sparrows feast
on millet, the pigeons---
left over rice

#variation on Basho's haiku 41: "Sparrows" (1688)

Basho's haiku:

A good house: sparrows delight in millet behind the back door

My haiku:

the sparrows feast
on millet, the pigeons---
left over rice

#variation on Basho's haiku 40: "Octopus" (1688)

Basho's haiku:

Octopus traps -- fleeting dreams -- the summer moon

My haiku:

an octopus trapped,
I set it free---
back to my summer dreams

#variation on Basho's haiku 38: "Fishermen's Faces" (1688)

Basho's haiku:

Fishermens' faces were seen first, then the poppy flowers

My haiku:

fishermen's faces----
I stop eating
dried cod

#rice

dusk,
the bridge lights come on---
someone cooking rice

#sunset

sunset,
a sail boat stops---
puffed red clouds

#viewing

full moon---
viewing
the light house

#fight

morning tai chi---
a shadow
wants to fight

#summer

summer---
spider web on the window shelf
glistens

#dogs

very hot night---
the dogs haven't barked
for hours

#Lance Armstrong

I finally got
a yellow band---
Lance Armstrong

#stillness

stillness---
the alarm clock
keeps ringing

#two women

two women
have coffee on a roof---
puffed red drawings

#squeaking

keeps squeaking---
pulling the rope
to hang from her window laundry

#necklace

it swings as she bows---
her yellow roses
necklace

#grandpa

a dressed woman
comes out of the cake---
grandpa soon to rewed

#bookie

skeptic bookie
takes bets---
sun will rise tomorrow

#sunset

sunset---
behind the skyline
a higher skyline of red clouds

#ride

subway ride---
a kid asks a cop
what's in his pocket

#deep sea

deep sea---nothing is left

#Variation on Basho's "Pea Crab"

Basho's haiku 34 (1687):

A pea crab crawls up my leg from the clear water.

My haiku:

a lobster clutching
my big toe---
I pee on it

#bus

on a London bus
sightseeing in New York---
some patrons were handcuffed

[Note: true story]

#sunset

sunset---
I arrived late,
saw the aftermath

#cactus

painted trees on a store's window---
cactus plants
sit outside

#smiled

passed me,
asked for a quarter---
and smiled

#shy

Saturday's night,
a traffic island park---
the women ain't shy

#poodle

early morning---
a Ralph Lauren suit
walking a poodle

#pumpkin

walking at night,
I came across a fine pumpkin---
full moon

#sunset

sunset---
a red cloud lingers
over the Empire State Building

#water

hot weather sale,
two for the price of one---
water

#Google Moon

I tried Google Moon---
grey dust
all over my fingers

#Eskimo

city summer nights---
an Eskimo dreams
of his hometown

#hydrant

weeds grew around
a fire hydrant---
hiding it completely

#heat

heat wave---
listening to the cricket
while sitting in Starbucks

#today's

today's date same as when the Spanish Civil War started*---
Iraq's?

[*July 18, 1936]

#in line

standing in line to buy
mini muffins, I turned---
hers were in my face

#variation on Basho's Haiku 31

Matsuo Basho's Haiku 31 (1687) "Skylarks"

Through this long day, the skylarks have not sung enough

My haiku:

with so many crickets
who needs
the skylark

#hot

hot night---
the moon just came out
of the swimming pool

#clothes

foggy morning---
my neighbors
forgot wearing clothes

#Saturday

Saturday night---
a church organist
listens to Metallica

#sunset

sunset---
an ant ascends
my leg

#complains

Friday night---
a gigolo complains
about his sex life

#July fifteen

July fifteen---
a day later,
the lights are red, white, and blue

#crawling

late night---
a spider crawling
Internet Explorer

#it's a Union Square

Union Square's half moon---
still looking for
its other

#butcher

lunch break---
a butcher makes himself
a sandwich

#clouds

summer afternoon---
under cumulus clouds
flipping hamburgers

#sunset

sunset---
the pizza
just arrived

#whistles

almost forgotten---
the wind now and then
whistles her name

#noon

high noon on a lawn---
me and a cute bird
eating lunch

#bikini

bikini panties
glowing in the dark---
crescent moon

#tango

tango in the park---
her knee swings up
too far

#fire

firefly in the subway---
the batteries never
run out

#hurricane

clear sky---
till what's left of
the next hurricane arrives

#nap

a summer rainy day---
I took a nap,
then another

#overground

riding the subway---
fog and rain
overground

#London

London and New York
are sisters---
hand in hand they walk

#dance

going to a dance
in the park---
I carry my umbrella

#rice

pigeons eating
left over rice---
they like it

#ocean

gray ocean---
I stay home and listen
to B.B.King

#lost

lost on the street---
the statue of a saint
faces the right way

#fireworks

watching the fireworks---
suddenly the sky
has a ceiling

#independence

independence day,
all men are created equal---
even them

#sunset July third, 2005

sunset,
red, white, and blue stripes---
the stars later

#a variation on Basho's azaleas

Azaleas arranged, beside them a woman dries cod.
Matsuo Basho, haiku #23, 1685

late afternoon---
a farmer rests her feet
beside the azaleas

#fireflies

western swing in the park---
on a count of eight
the fireflies light up

#U2

a beetle, the gates
of windows, and you too
say love africa

#seagull

summer---
above the el
a seagull passed

#comet

star gazing---
a little ant walks
inside a comet

[Note:On July 4th a NASA probe, Deep Impact will walk inside a comet, Temple
1, send pictures of it to Earth and then burn out.]

#it's a Union Square

the sun shines while it rains---
nothing stays undisputed
at Union Square

#melon

eating watermelon,
after the melon all gone---
moonless night

#eggs

afternoon breakfast---
eggs sunny side up
are almost over

#blizzard

the heat!
last night I dreamed
I was in a blizzard


#hot

hot night---
a mouse trapped
by a cool breeze

#July

July---
nothing to do
but staring

#rat

quickly a squirrel
crossed the side walk---
I said: you're a rat

#chairs

a kid keeps moving
chairs around---
but the music doesn't stop

#weeds

a city playground---
from its cement sprouts
some wild weeds

#sunset

sunset in the park---
a kid scores
a slam dunk

#oven

cleaned the oven---
now baked potatoes will
smell like pine trees

#cells

popping on roof tops---
the relay cells
of cell phones

#alarms

early morning---
cursing the inventor
of car alarms

#warmer

as nights get warmer
voices on the roof
get softer

#it's a Union Square

Union Square---
rats cross
to enter their subway

#sunset

gray and pink lines upside down---
sunset,
I spilled my tequila sunrise

#motors

early morning---
motors are mowing down
a dead tree

#sunrise

sunrise---
at a distance
a towering inferno

#construction

a crane next
to water lilies---
construction in the park

#Lincoln Center

Lincoln Center Plaza,
Artie Shaw band plays---
next the frogs at the pond

#Battery Park

Battery Park---
across the waters
stands a big lady

#night

boring night---
the cricket keeps repeating
itself

#dark

sparrows on the tree
sing---
soon it will be all dark

#fog

early morning---
stuck in traffic,
the sound of a fog horn

#fathers day

fathers day---
he stops to buy him
ice cream

#run

trees run then stop---
looking out of a train
first time

#dreams

a tree with dense leaves,
under it were spun
many summer dreams

#at the movies

summer afternoon
at the movies---
a rude awakening

#pick

two flowers
side by side---
I pick one, not the other

#green

solstice---
a cool breeze
caresses green leaves

#eagles

thunderstorms over---
the Chrysler Building's
eagles glisten

#life

life in the fifties
so sweet and simple---
a lost ant back in the fold

#spaniel

painted on the roof
across my window---
the ears of a red spaniel

#ices

sunset---
kids buy ices
from a passing vendor

#dentist

walking to the dentist,
in the hot sun---
my mouth feels real dry

#naked

walking at night
naked limps
perspiring---silently

#sound

lunch hour downtown---
the sound of crows
drowns all other sound

#lotus

a day at the pond,
I feel content like
a lotus_eater

#it's a Union Square

hot Saturday night,
out late in the park---
Eve forgot her fig leaf

#morning

early morning
a pigeon cooing:
another hot day

#summer

summer---
I doze in the subway,
wake up at Coney Island

#hide

hot day---
two sparrows play
hide and seek under a car

#summer solstice

summer solstice---
I click glasses
with shadows

#ice cream store

new ice cream store,
at the door two bicycles
lie entangled

#swing

evening---
the leaves swing
to a cool breeze

#your side

how about you tell me
your side of the story
moon

#dusk

dusk on my porch---
I can still see
the dafodils

#on high

keep it on "high cool"---
for a moment I thought
we're in July, not June

#ice

hot and humid Sunday,
I go to a bar to cool down---
no ice

#sunny

at eight thirty
it's sixty degrees---
and sunny

#neighbors

neighbors having
a backyard party---
I could overhear the kissing

#sky window

hot day---
his car won't start,
he opened the sky window

#plagiarism

the parakeet
at odds with the parrot---
it's plagiarism

#it's a Union Square

cold evening---
the sax player
switches to baritone

#Fat Cat

Fat Cat ran to the
next window to keep
spying on a police dog

#clouds

crow walking
on a tar covered roof---
low clouds

#outside

laptops, cell phones, and
mint chip _mocha cups---
horse drawn carriages outside

#my frog haiku

Basho's frog haiku:

Furu ike ya Old pond!
kawazu tobikomu frog jumps in
mizu no oto water’s sound

my frog haiku:

I'm sick and tired
of you frog---
go jump in a lake

#gym

in shorts at night---
she bypasses Tiffany's
going to the gym

#Waning

I looked up the name:
tonight's is Waning Crescent---
the moon

#same

that same rhythm
page after page---
I fall asleep

#staring

the old man's staring---
his wife left him
for a younger man

#bells

May sun sets
behind two trees---
I hear echoes of bells jingle

#millipede

cars honk
at a stop sign
a millipede crosses---slowly

#crow

that old crow's been
in enough haiku
to fill a Yahoo mail account

#haiku moments

haiku moments---
suddenly you stop,
you go back and look

#sunset

sunset---
the rain hitting the window
is saying sambuca

#Memorial Day

Memorial Day---
flag draped coffins
still arrive

#Friday

Friday morning---
that same old boring
tumbleweed

#blue

blue eyed blond,
blue scarf, blue coat, blue umbrella---
bluejeans

#it's a Union Square

naked women on the grass---
in bronze
by Rene Letourneur

#gun

at the metro card machine,
with a gun---
Pancho Villa's mustaches

#on cell

at Starbucks
the voice of Ella dwarfed
by the voice of Ella on cell

#hide

the trees fully grown leaves
hide lower level
graffiti

#City Ballet Review: May 24, 2005

cool rainy day---
I go
to the ballet

City Ballet danced
Bach's Goldberg Variations,
by Robbins--it's sunny

Cameron Grant's
playing the piano---
I felt grand

partnering Weese---
Peter Boal's
very sweet

and Neal's---
beautiful little bird
beats

many jumps to second
and tour---and tour---and tour---
that's mine!

then Glass Pieces---
also by Robbins,
dancers walk but go no where

going back home---
it warmed up
and the rain stopped

#feather

on her chair
on the porch---
a feather

#toasted

toasted bagel
and cappuccino---
her delicate oriental looks

#duty

pen and paper
writing haiku
my duty every day

#the moon

I woke up feeling someone
pointing a light saber at me---
the moon

#it's a Union Square

all benches full---
except the with pigeon shit
strewn ones

#baguette

from her Ann Taylor
shopping bag,
sticks out a baguette

#one

depleted sunlight,
her shadow and her
become one

#pigeons

New York's well fed pigeons:
first walk--- then run--- then fly---
just kick their ass!

#boss

my boss
wrote a haiku
about his nose

#lunch

nice day,
eating lunch outside---
two men discuss Plato

#locksmith

at a locksmith: covering
the store's windows
locked steel gates

#rainbow

sunset---
rain and one grayish green celebrated
rainbow

#the Zoo

the Zoo in May---
the young of animals
and humans

#Jerusalem

Jerusalem---
a rope walker
fell

#mid may

mid may---
the sun's heat caresses;
the shade's cool air tickles

#a cat

a cat
at night
walking---then jumped into the bushes


#surf

ocean viewing---
with each soft caress
the splashing of the surf

#streetlight

under a streetlight
a dog walker
waits

#seashell

on a beach---
a seashell whispers
a distant lover's heart beat

#graffiti

hot day---
graffiti on the roofs
distracts

#a ride?

on the train after school
a two seater bicycle---
need a ride?

#Sony

Sony Atrium---
the smell of rubber,
Spider Man walks the ceiling

#Park

Madison Square Park lunch time--
a sparrow's looking
to see who's new

#mothers' day

mothers' day---
I wish I could still say:
"o I forgot to call her"

#golf

cleaning man in the subway
plays golf:
broom stick and an m&m

#in line

standing in line---
she smiled baring her midriff,
I smiled bearing it all

#Empire

sunset---
still not dark enough to view
the Empire State Building's lights

#tears

bored to tears,
the crocodile
chews on weeds

#bag

rush hour---
he gives his seat,
she carries a Victoria's Secret bag

#foot

at the foot of
a black glass tower
wilted lilacs

#sale

side walk potted flowers sale---
calla lilies:
eight dollars each

#talking

one of New York's finest
talking
to a star obstacle vaulter

#clown

the clown
at his desk
counting his marbles

#fly

fly on the window
awe stricken---
plane lands at LaGuardia

#no showing off

fog covered skyline---
just lights
and no showing off

#rain check

sun set---
nothing doing
I took a rain check

#insect

another
haiku wrapped insect---
click "delete"

#brick

brick paved street
ends---
at the cemetery

#"moment"

these empty lines---
waiting for their "moment"
and click on "send"

#purple

spring purple rose---
choosing love
over war

#boat

morning fog---
the marina sinks
boat by boat

#summer time

summer time---
and the baker has
a sale

#doctor

the doctor tending the patient---
the Yankees
playing tonight

#red lights

foggy night---
all is left
are blinking red lights

#stem

the scent of a rose,
not the rose itself---
has a metal stem

#watched

pouring rain---
through a hole for two minutes
the sun watched

#sun set

sun set---
too soon slipped in a cloud belt
and set it on fire

#spring cleaning

spring cleaning day:
some weird living things---
also dead

#line

end of the subway line
outside the station---
an H&R Block

#chalk

on the sidewalk
next to the tulips
a tulip in chalk

#snow shower

cold wind gusts---
snow shower
from apple blossoms

#waterfall

sunset---
a waterfall of light
gushing out of dark clouds

#ride

at the street fair:
ride a pony
for real---from Kentucky

#racing

all his money gone
he's still reading
the racing paper

#forecast

checking the forecast---
the radar is prettier
than rain in person

#muffled

in a subway tunnel
a worker sings
his ears muffled

#weddings

walking passing
much apple blossom---
many April weddings

#it's a Union Square

red and yellow tulips
in Union Square---
Gandhi poses

[In Union Square, New York City there is a statue of Gandhi cast while he is
walking]

#Checker

retired Checker cab
repainted Yankee's
blue and white

#tickles

small tree
with small new leaves---
tickles the ears

#french fries

long yellow finger nails---
eating french fries
at McDonald

#new Pope

continuum---
short wait
for white Sistine smoke

#apple

dark street---
green half moon
through spring apple blossom

#tight

sign in the subway:
"hold tight"---
at rush hour hold the others

#it's a Union Square

Washington on a horse---
the army behind him
is sun bathing

#Capitol

from the State Capitol
chimney---
never white smoke

#hand in hand

a spring Sunday afternoon--
scantly dressed bodies
walk hand in hand

#west

Sunday morn'
walked too far west---
someone singing gospel

#suburban

some haiku---
an art store
in a suburban mall

#Titans

the City from across
the East River---
concrete Titans

#photos

taking photos---
a shadow
did not miss any shadows

#sports

Saturday morning---
in an empty booth
a left over sports section

#garbage

early morning---
the sound of a garbage truck
crunching

#another pointing haiku

a little girl
points to a star
with a wand

#on the wagon

cool dry April days---
pigeons going
on the wagon

#junkyard

two junkyard dogs
bark
at a Porche speeding by

#over the hill

over the hill yuppies---
even donut shops
now serve espresso

#the sun

the sun in my eyes;
soon it will set---
I keep looking

#hound

a grey hound in the midst
of Saturday afternoon shoppers
pisses

#masquerade

crescent moon
before dark---
masquerade

#dermatitis

little buds
all over bare branches---
dermatitis

#breathless

the Brooklyn Bridge---
which
did make you feel breathless?

#this week we got reminded

why Henry VIII
told the Pope
go jump in a lake