the beggar
ignores the priest
and asks me

subway rat
making better progress
than me

two old hunters
shooting nothing
but the breeze
****

shooting nothing
but the breeze
two old hunters

realising

‘old whatsisname?’

is me

The beggar

the sleeping beggar

hears my two yuan notes

fall into her bowl

****

waking

my two yuan notes in her bowl

the sleeping beggar

****

my two yuan notes

in her bowl

wakens the sleeping beggar

****

waking the sleeping beggar

in her bowl

my two yuan notes

****

waking the sleeping beggar

my two yuan notes

in her bowl

****

my two yuan notes

fall into the begging bowl

and waken her

(Suggested by Su Wai Hlaing)

derelict steelworks
with trees
rusting

Chinese couple

in the fast food queue

stealing a kiss

facebook

birthday notification

...but she’s dead!

even alone

locking

the toilet door

flooded paddy fields

my mother’s

rice pudding

high speed train

never enough time

to admire the view

today’s class

none of my students

have siblings

oolong

not really

my idea of tea

dreaming of paddy fields

I wake up

and see them

looking so much better

after three beers

my reflection

my mother’s funeral

how much better than me

they all know her

Published Failed Haiku Volume 4, Issue 37, page 10

Living Senryu Anthology

Living Haiku Anthology

Guangzhou tree blossom

hanging

just out of reach

passport control

trying not to look

suspicious

I wake up snoring

and everyone laughs

...on the train

three urinals

a pubic hair

in each one

whistle and delight
looking for the latter
in my lifejacket

food distribution

around my plate

chopsticks

the kite flier

at first

no connection

****

the kite flier

but...

which one?
****

the kite flier
only he knows
which one

from the window

of my Chinese hotel

McDonalds

sparrowhawk

there one minute gone the next

the mouse

the wind farm

with its crop

of windmills

trainspotters
going nowhere
****

always on time
trainspotters

the crow's nest
surely
a sign of winter
****

the crow's nest
reminds me
winter is coming
****

the crow's nest
appearing
liminality
****

the crow’s nest
appears
like winter
****

the crow’s nest
appearing
like winter

the gravedigger's grave
not so indispensable
after all

a young couple

in the peace garden

arguing

cigarette butt trail

leading the way

to the medical school

school’s out

approaching the platform

my heart sinks

slow train...

...more stops...

than places

outside the pub

a girl shows her boobs

to the drunk old man

Remembrance Sunday
unable to forget
the memories

bagging the dog shit

once again

the smell of wet leaves

biker's funeral
a young girl
not biking

the young actress
her nipples
staring at me

going

with the flow

urinal spider

Published (2018) Failed Haiku Volume 3, Issue 36, page 18

Living Senryu Anthology

Living Haiku Anthology

washroom queue
taking too long
...everyone

pharmacy shelves
a pack of Viagra
stands out

jogging past

the rough sleeper...

he snores

no change to spare

my heart empty

but pockets full

Found haiku:

Three ‘haiku moments’:

Unconscious transition from the balcony to the rock outside. (p16)

Suddenly the man crosses the orchard to the seawall. (p28)

...from the darkness of the cliff-edge above us a fir-cone falls. (p35)*

From Lawrence Durrell (1945) Prospero’s Cell Faber and Faber , London

Published (2021) The Poetry Pea Journal of haiku and senryu Winter page 6

power walkers

that attitude

Published (2018) Failed Haiku Volume 3, Issue 36, page 18

Living Haiku Anthology