Friday, May 31, 2013

Shiki, Shiki, Shiki Can't You See?




"Sometimes your words just hypnotize me . . ."
Can any poet ask for higher praise?
This is a series of Haiku/Senryu that riffs off of lines from famous hip-hop songs. It might be the most fun I've had writing in a long time. As I come up with more I'll be adding them, so check back. Judging from the reaction on my Facebook page "Don't call it a comeback" is one of the best haiku I've ever written. Special shout out to Coyote, @Coyotesings on Twitter whose brilliant haiku;

hands in the air • like they just don't care.. • delphiniums



was the inspiration for my series. Since this is the internet there are links to the original songs for those of you who might not recognize the lines. Shiki of course is the great haiku master who modernized and elevated haiku to a literary art form and gave it the recognition it deserved.

Bass
How low can you go-
Evening thunder 

Don't push me
cuz I'm close to the edge-
Silent lightning

we're making that green-
Lawn sprinkler whirls

we like to party-
Squirrels zigzag

To reintroduce myself-
The Summer breeze

F*ck tha Police
coming straight from the underground-
Tulips with attitude

We been here for years-
Hum of cicadas

Set it off
on the right Y'all -
Snowplows at dawn

a hip to the hippety-
Bullfrogs break at dawn

the roof is on fire- 
Summer sunset

on Say What popcorn-
Fresh lip gloss

Set it off
set set set set it off-
Autumn leaves ablaze


And until next we meet, may all your potatoes be sweet (and dusted with cinnamon.)

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Happy Birthday



May Nineteenth-
The wind bends two sunflowers
into an X

And until next we meet, may all your potatoes be sweet (and dusted with cinnamon).

Thursday, May 02, 2013

2013 May Haiku/Senryu

Chess tournament-
my son moves
from my shadow



Morning fog-
The furious roar 
of the ocean

Memorial Day-
She googles a knot
for her hanging chair

Following the path
I stumble on a Ku

Obscure Landmark-
Jazz pianist modulates
to a higher key

Divine Comedy-
Dante walks a mile
for a camel

Two bathers
on the beach puffing-
Cumulus clouds

No toilet paper-
Behind the wrong eye
an itch

Caught between
the couch and the wall-
Her laughter

Back porch
just after the last puff-
First cicada

Taking a cue
from the mottled ball-
His bald spot

Cherry blossoms
glistening with dew-
Her new lipstick

February dawn-
Shoveling a path to
the grill

Asleep in the car-
a seagull on the hood
cocks his head

Atop a pole
hot wiring the cable box-
A squirrel blinks

My father
dominates the room
from his urn

Memorial Day-
A neighbor salutes
with tongs

Above the grill
so many crows on the line
counting briquettes 

Back turned
bowed head searching-
Miles smiles

This dealer's mustache • caterpillar on a branch

Standing
in a long line for work-
Black ants

Soaring over
the beach volleyball net-
Seagulls

Summer sunset-
The shadows of her dreadlocks
grow longer

Summer glare-
The sarcasm
in her tone

On the river-
A boat sunk by
Quad Kings

First and U Streets-
Between these fat raindrops
gunshots

After our fight-
Finding the peanut butter
in the fridge again

Camp bonfire-
The fluttering wings
of a giant moth

August heat-
My son brushes the bare
bottom of the grill

August heat-
The drunk drinks
an empty bottle

Labor Day-
Sweat beads the neck
Daddy's beer

Slapping her
bare bottom-
Old pond

Bright welts racing
down the back of my legs-
Hot Wheel tracks

Purring in the bed-
A cat that is not
my cat

His words 
wrapped around six croakers-
Muhammad Speaks

After church
on the old tube radio-
Immaculate Reception

Red eyes-
Clemente's plane
unfound

New Year's Day-
Right Field in Three Rivers
unoccupied

Empty Boardwalk-
The silent journey 
towards yourself

Evening thunder-
Daddy's drunken voice through
the bedroom door

Speeding cars-
The stillness of a tern
in the road

Traffic
congests
arteries

Brown
banana
boy

Go-Go
Godfather
gone

Four AM-
Even the crack zombies
tire

Crack of dawn-
Thin woman scours the spaces
in the sidewalk

Her new tattoos-
Arched eyebrows

Thunderheads
parting
lips

Afternoon sun
shiny and unblinking
Nephew's glass eye

Pointing towards 
the abandoned house- 
Used needles

Scabs 
on a junkies' forearm- 
New neighborhood maps

Soggy Marine 
holds umbrella over Prez- 
Afternoon shower

Old Kentucky Home-
Even the Marriage Records
are segregated

August heat-
The kink in the rope 
between her teeth

Summer heat-
A parted head under
a hot comb's glow

Saturday sunlight-
Orange flames devour 
mother's hair

Wisp of smoke- 
Newports and hot combs glow 
between teeth

Crescent moon-
Midnight light treat
Orange slices

Afternoon sun-
Daddy's smile through double
Plexiglass

"You Are My Starship"-
The shape of William's
casket

These metal bars-
The creases in Daddy's 
orange jumpsuit

Her fingertips
on the back of my neck-
What lies unsaid


And until next we meet, may all your potatoes be sweet (and dusted with cinnamon.)