Karumi Garden Haiku

2012-01-10T19:37:00.000-05:00

Your light
illuminates the truth
so much
it burns
my soul

2011-11-05T20:44:00.000-04:00

so small
against the fall snow, the acorn
and I

2011-10-21T19:53:00.000-04:00

Straining to see the lesson
darkness falls
on my disappointment

2011-09-14T09:02:00.000-04:00

Thirty year old man
without coverage--let him die?
"Crucify him! Crucify him!"

*Note: This was written as a response to the Tea Party debate audience crying out in the affirmative to a theoretical scenario asking whether an uninsured 30 year old should be allowed to die.

2011-09-04T18:56:00.002-04:00

A ladybug sits
on my question mark. Is she
asking or answering?

2011-08-24T14:07:00.000-04:00

a cool breeze
in the garden a cup of tea
whispered chanting

2011-08-24T13:59:00.001-04:00

a cool breeze
a warm cup of tea
in the garden

2011-08-24T12:03:00.001-04:00

I transplant
ornamental grass
in the speckled sunlight

2011-08-22T15:00:00.002-04:00

Three families of birds
live, grow up and fly away
my empty nest

2011-08-14T17:53:00.002-04:00

accidental death
burned in a pot of hot milk
the live cultures

2011-08-14T17:52:00.001-04:00

if I traveled through time
would you be
as I imagine?

2011-07-31T18:55:00.000-04:00

I trudge through the internet
like a child lost in the city of bright lights.
The flashing neon distracts me from myself.

2011-07-31T13:05:00.002-04:00

The world's wedding:
cabbage butterflies
and Queen Anne's lace

2011-07-27T18:19:00.004-04:00

walking the dog
two baby rabbits
run for their lives

2011-07-27T18:19:00.002-04:00

Shocked by the reflection;
in my mind I'm thin.

2011-07-22T17:11:00.002-04:00

checking the animals
to see if
they are still alive--
no a/c

2011-07-22T15:57:00.003-04:00

Oven door
the heat pours in
from the outside

2011-07-22T15:50:00.002-04:00

Oppressive
Omnipresent and eternal
the egg cooks on the sidewalk

2011-07-21T13:27:00.000-04:00

Smooth bowl, a watery blue,
bursting with sunshine--
lemons

2011-07-20T17:35:00.000-04:00

stifling summer heat
shock of white hair zooms by
young man jogging to work

2011-07-20T11:24:00.000-04:00

I work well
under the pressure
of actually having a job.

2011-07-20T11:10:00.000-04:00

hazy, hot and humid
the heat wave moves east
counter-intuitive oatmeal

2011-07-20T00:38:00.000-04:00

he looks at me
ever hopeful
of love--
the cat

2011-07-19T14:24:00.000-04:00

The stifling heat
melts away all ambition
dusty riverbed

2011-07-16T19:29:00.000-04:00

The silence grows
like the mold
in the bathroom
we pretend not to see.

2011-07-15T08:30:00.001-04:00

As the sun sets
they join us at the car show
the three rabbits

In the Morning Darkness

2011-07-14T21:58:00.000-04:00

my fractional brain
rarely functional,
I blindly grope
for coffee

2011-07-14T21:34:00.000-04:00

wishing on a star--
i want to go back in time
and choose respect

This is in response to One Single Impression's prompt: respect.

2011-07-14T21:22:00.000-04:00

i hear vomiting
the cat waltzes in
to apologize

Radiant

2011-07-13T09:53:00.000-04:00

lit from within
those treasured look on
youthful bride

This is in response to Haiku Bones' prompt: radiant.

Documentary

2011-07-12T12:33:00.000-04:00

He tells us of
the Holocaust,
his daughter
behind him, smoking.

2011-06-20T19:47:00.002-04:00

tall boy in loose jeans
I look twice; it's not him
my son is married

2011-05-28T19:31:00.000-04:00

Saturday evening
sweet sounds of harmony float
flying geese

2011-05-25T16:50:00.000-04:00

My short poetry
flits around like a small bird
and my A.D.D.

2011-03-24T07:54:00.002-04:00

a morning "gift"
a Rorschach blot of pee
left by the dog

2011-02-03T15:56:00.000-05:00

Snowy feline
curled up against the cold
marshmallow cat

2011-02-02T15:19:00.000-05:00

flash of white fur
against a dark, winter house
surprise cat

2011-01-28T21:32:00.000-05:00

dark, ancient forest
endless, snow covered branches
as I drive to work

2011-01-09T07:12:00.000-05:00

fluttering shadow
on the snow-covered driveway
American flag

2011-01-09T07:10:00.003-05:00

sweet, creamy goodness
of a proper tea
poured in the morning darkness

2011-01-04T06:47:00.000-05:00

Penitential soup
Full of vegetables and beans
Post Christmas diet

2010-12-10T14:24:00.000-05:00

We walk together

balancing in too-tall shoes

Are we grown up yet?

2010-10-30T20:20:00.000-04:00

Polite and friendly,
I greet them as I go by
the bewildered cows

2010-08-23T21:47:00.000-04:00

old baby pictures
smile at me from the wall

my face is pensive

One Single Impression prompt: Pensive

2010-08-06T22:18:00.000-04:00

When I break from my

cocoon

who will I be?

One Single Impression Prompt: cocoon

2010-08-03T15:57:00.002-04:00

forgotten glass jar

left outside, brewing at night

moon tea

2010-08-02T09:06:00.000-04:00

beautiful flowers
colorful and artificial
disappointed hummingbird

A Little Tea Cup

2010-07-22T11:44:00.001-04:00

a little tea cup
sits on a matching saucer

civilization

2010-07-07T21:48:00.000-04:00

outside my bedroom window
the soft light of the silvery moon
holds all my secrets

2010-07-02T15:34:00.000-04:00

holiday weekend
in an old historic town
tourist season here

2010-07-02T15:31:00.002-04:00

dedicated bird
diligently builds her nest
poops on my window

2010-06-26T22:27:00.002-04:00

We travel the road
of life. Some things slip away.
Only God remains.

2010-06-05T18:25:00.002-04:00

working outside
sweating in the hot June sun
cackling crow

2010-06-01T19:41:00.000-04:00

dinner on the porch
we watch the rabbits eat too
soft, silent rain falls

2010-04-28T06:52:00.000-04:00

on the cherry tree
flowers give way to leaves
youth fades

2010-04-28T06:51:00.001-04:00

pink blossoms
morning prayer in the cold
blessings of spring

Fissures

2010-04-27T09:55:00.001-04:00

bright morning sun beams
give light to the chasm
between life and death

This week's One Single Impression prompt: fissures

Picture by Chris O'Doherty

Night Rain

2010-04-27T09:19:00.000-04:00

night rain
endured in quiet darkness
first light

This week's Haiku Bones prompt: Night Rain

2010-03-31T17:30:00.002-04:00

dark, sweet life
nestled among the Easter grass
newborn calves

2010-03-10T09:54:00.001-05:00

bitter tears mingle with
the harsh clink of counted pennies
uncertainty

Infestation

2010-03-10T09:16:00.000-05:00

the dust of our years

a bittersweet infestation

of lingering love

This week's Haiku Bones Prompt: Infestation.

2010-02-20T21:40:00.001-05:00

Seductive birds sing
in the frozen landscape
spring's siren song.

Here is a second poem with this week's Haiku Bones prompt: seductive.

Lent

2010-02-20T21:24:00.001-05:00

Each year we fight
the world's seductive lure--
with quiet resolve

This week's Haiku Bones prompt was seductive.

Uncanny

2010-01-31T17:27:00.000-05:00

from dead to living
in unspoken alliance--
habits are passed

This week's Haiku Bones prompt: Uncanny

2010-01-18T15:13:00.000-05:00

The years pass by.
The incandescent twinkle
in his eyes remains.

2010-01-18T07:12:00.000-05:00

i watch the world,
silent, and black and white
exploding rain drops

2010-01-16T21:35:00.002-05:00

dressed in our finest
we smile for the camera
I look away

2010-01-12T14:16:00.003-05:00

horses in the snow
looking for edible grass
a lone pine tree

2010-01-06T07:26:00.002-05:00

losing energy

tired; sighing quietly

mournful teapot

2010-01-04T16:07:00.000-05:00

hearts electrify
across telephone wires
winter static

This week's Haiku Bones prompt: electrifying

2010-01-04T10:46:00.000-05:00

we take refuge
from the winter wind
the fly and I

2010-01-04T10:40:00.000-05:00

snow and bitter wind--
rush inside; remove coat--
and note the fly

2009-12-31T09:36:00.002-05:00

soft snow encloses
the world in the silence
of new year's regrets

Thanks to Walky Soto for inviting me to Haiku Bones.

2009-12-12T21:19:00.001-05:00

Skeleton trees reach
gnarled branches through falling snow.
Our joints ache.

2009-12-12T20:52:00.002-05:00

winter resurrection
a friend's face
on Google Chrome

2009-12-04T12:36:00.002-05:00

Pale and cold
I warm my hands
on the red mug.
Winter blood test.

2009-12-04T12:35:00.002-05:00

Pale and cold,

I dream of the tropics

and stare at the ceiling--

winter blood test.

2009-12-04T12:25:00.001-05:00

pale and cold
dreams of tropical islands
December
blood test

2009-11-21T20:20:00.001-05:00

inside for days

bedroom, fever, stay the same

natureless haiku

2009-11-21T19:49:00.000-05:00

in the searing heat
reduced to its elemental form
my brain in fever

2009-11-17T13:32:00.000-05:00

moon viewing

a scholar's garden retreat
you are with me in spirit

2009-11-17T12:51:00.001-05:00

rapturous delight

soft--in the afternoon

raw salmon

2009-11-12T20:12:00.000-05:00

the deepening chill

settles in my waiting soul

early winter

2009-11-12T19:42:00.001-05:00

fall colors

exploding in pinks and greens

beautiful weed

2009-11-11T10:14:00.002-05:00

black cat leading me,
half asleep, to the food bowl
midnight snack

2009-11-05T17:15:00.003-05:00

Red, gently applied over yellow

with a dry brush.

Cold apple.

At the Grotto

2009-07-01T15:49:00.000-04:00

Orange butterfly
alights on purple flower--
prays with Bernadette.

2009-04-28T15:03:00.001-04:00

is it bad luck
when a vulture crosses
your path?

2009-03-22T20:46:00.001-04:00

large families
quiet and well behaved
in my dreams

March Haiku

2009-03-16T21:24:00.002-04:00

Cold snow rests
on the old Torii gate.
Red berries bring hope.

2009-03-08T22:08:00.001-04:00

an Alzheimer's stranger,
he wheels in
and joins our party.

Married Love

2009-03-05T19:22:00.001-05:00

Ancient and bent,
after pushing her wheelchair,
he feeds her.

2008-12-15T08:17:00.002-05:00

on my tongue
I taste the bitter words--
potent medicine.

2008-11-29T12:39:00.001-05:00

crouching tiger
hidden in the early morning fog
the fog lifts

2008-11-18T18:13:00.001-05:00

newborn flurries fall
gently, on tired black coats.
first snow

2008-09-23T22:13:00.002-04:00

early morning reality
disappears
in the foggy mirage

2008-09-23T22:13:00.001-04:00

early morning
giving way to stifling day
the fog lifts

Ember Days

2008-09-22T20:06:00.001-04:00

I feel the coolness
in the quiet harvest night
and offer thanks

2008-09-07T20:01:00.002-04:00

pink and ubiquitous
the dry paint recoils from the walls
barely hanging on

2008-08-02T17:00:00.001-04:00

loud summer thunder
the dog jumps up on my lap
the tension's broken