Funereal senryu

retirement day

the undertaker's final nail

in the coffin
****

closing time

the coffin-maker grins

"nailed it"

****

wilding harvest
dandelions
on a still evening
****

wilding harvest
with only a splash
of dandelions

early spring morning
the smoke
of autumn leaves
****

sunny spring morning
a resilience
of frost
****

Mother’s Day

in my mind

scattering her ashes

curiosity
kills the duckling
pike rising

in the refrigerator
I freeze
thunder

crab eyes glistening
between
creaking waves

Published (2020) The Bamboo Hut  Number 3

my daughter
showing me
the evening star

at sunset
the prominence
of trees

a bevy of doves
gathering
at dusk

Published (2020) Haiku International Number 149 page 7

I investigate
creaking mushrooms
while blossom shivers

the                hummm
       ing                      bird
                                was
            there

Published (2020) Creatix Number 49

fluttering bamboo
the ancestors
arrive

Published (2020) The Bamboo Hut  Number 3

the compass
in my prayer mat
pointing to Rumi

existential sushi
with lashings
of wabi-sabi sauce

climbing the old church tower
reaching
the moral high ground

octopus breath
the effervescence
of love

inside
the folded newspaper
toast crumbs

Published (2020) Blithe Spirit Number 30 Issue 2 page 29

between
cicada breaths
petal wind

Dew (tsuyu) death haiku

my old body:
a drop of dew grown
heavy at the leaf tip
****
oi no me ya
hazue no omaru
tsuyu no tama

Kida d.1968 (90 years)

****

like dewdrops
on a lotus leaf
I vanish
****
hasu no ha no
tsuyu to kieyuku
wagami tana

Senryu  d.1827

****

to grass it comes
and turns to grass:
a drop of dew

kusa ni kite
kusa ni kaeru ya
tsuyu no tama

Shikatu d. 1767 (53 years)

****

I wish this body
might be dew in a field
of flowers

hana no negai
hanano no tsuyu to
naro mi kana

Tembo d. 1823 (83 years)

****

even dew distilled
from a thousand herbs
can't cure this illness

shisho ni wa
chigusa no tsuyu no
gen mo nashi

Tojun d. 1695 (73 years)

dead plant skin

the garden

beneath

my breath

blooming

early spring blossom
one sneeze
after another

the adopted peasant

reeking of fish

considers

the willow tree

and expires

(in honour of Namagusai Tazakurai)