2006-09-30

797. Pedestrian

a fat pigeon
struts at our feet...
oh, how tame!

[Notes]

2006-09-29

796. Random Patterns

autumn afternoon...
thirty or forty seagulls
circle overhead

[Notes]

2006-09-28

795. A Happy Place

north shore...
each wave laps then
falls away

[Notes]

2006-09-27

794. A Token

rose bouquet...
a tear forms on her cheek,
falls on the card

[Notes]

2006-09-26

793. Overnight Gift

green lawn...
pearls of dew reflect
an early sunrise

[Notes]

2006-09-25

792. What's the Matter?

cold porridge —
i examine this matter with
grey matter

[Notes]

2006-09-24

791. The Passing

railway crossing...
i count the cars and read
their serial numbers

[Notes]

2006-09-23

790. Sink Beach

stove-top espresso...
the feel of grounds while
cleaning the pot

[Notes]

2006-09-22

789. Coming Days

a koi rises
to meet a falling leaf —
cool afternoon

[Notes]

2006-09-21

788. Grand Entrance

sumo ring...
a tiny spider descends
on a silk thread

[Notes]

2006-09-20

787. One of Them

autumn breeze...
a cabbage moth among
the scattering leaves

[Notes]

2006-09-19

786. To the Dark Side

turned-up compost...
the red worms wriggle
back under

[Notes & Red Worm Link]

2006-09-18

785. Pleasant Moments

riverside promenade —
seniors stroll through
falling leaves

[Notes]

2006-09-17

784. Double Exposure

estate lawn...
automatic sprinkers compete
with the rain

[Notes]

2006-09-16

783. Greener Pasture

grocery checkout...
i switch lines but i still
get through last

[Notes]

Linked Verse Collaboration: The Virtual Za

Some of you may have discovered a collaboration between Hototogisu and me. For several weeks now we have been creating a renku-like 36-verse linked poem. Each post is either a two-line or a three-line haiku-like poem in which each verse links in some way to the previous one and goes through the seasons beginning with Summer and ending in Spring. Renku has a long tradition in Japan. We are following many of these traditions but have simplified things in some ways (e.g. Moon, Blossom, and Love references are not mandatory).

Our semi-daily posts appear in The Virtual Za Blog.

In order to keep track of seasons, kigo, link types, and so on, we use the following Google spreadsheet:

The Virtual Za Work Sheet

We invite you to follow along.

2006-09-15

782. On Guard

street lamps...
each seagull stands
at attention

[Notes]

2006-09-14

781. It's Okay

terrible dream...
i awake to the soft glow
of the nightlight

[Notes]

2006-09-13

780. Not Here

power blackout —
i find the spot where
the flashlight isn't

[Notes]

2006-09-12

779. 3D Mirror

air bubble --
a tiny globe suspended
in a drop of rain

[Notes]

2006-09-11

778. Asphalt Wasabi

former building...
once a place for sushi,
now a parkinq lot

[Notes]

2006-09-10

777. New Start

century-old elm —
a young branch attached
at the trunk bottom

[Notes]

2006-09-09

776. Evidence

wind storm...
a yellow leaf caught
on her sweater

[Notes]

2006-09-08

775. Got Away

my liquid marble
rolls under the fridge...
quick silver

[Notes]

2006-09-07

774. Almost

second by seconds
in a three-legged race —
sunday picnic

[Notes]

2006-09-06

773. Rude Awakening

early morning...
friday's alarm setting
still active

[Notes]

Notes Link Rollover

I have added a rollover to all the [Notes] links in the blog. When you hover your mouse over these links a little box will appear showing the link to the previous day's post.

2006-09-05

772. Surprise!

birthday party...
i see an alarming image
in the hall mirror

[Notes]

2006-09-04

771. Way Back

sunday afternoon...
a visit with gram & gramps
in the museum exhibit

[Notes]

2006-09-03

770. Survival

during a downpour
on our vacation...we get lost
in a bookstore

[Notes]

2006-09-02

769. Refuge?

garden hose...
a tiny spider scurries
for cover

[Notes]

112. A Year Ago: Katrina

sack of rice —
the contents flow out
through a hole

[This poem I wrote last September (2005) was based on a dream I had at the time. It later reminded me of the effects of Hurricane Katrina with the breeches of the levee and how the people poured through meagre evacuation routes. Also, many folks died, pouring through a hole into their next world.]

2006-09-01

768. One Way or Another

the back lawn
watered...one boy wins
the contest

[Notes]