~Haikus, Tankas and Rengas~

Airport Lounge Renga

7 September 2004
Schipol Airport, Netherlands

People congregate,
Relax and quiet recreate,
Life's worries abate.

Sun rise remember'd, . . .
(Sunrise remember'd, . . .)
(Sun, rise, remember'd, . . .)
(Sun rise-remember'd, . . .)
Soul's truss—habit—dream'd again,
Praline memories.

¿What's real—what's a dream?
Recombine these memories,
¿Where they a man's life?

Grey dawn—planes aligned,
Numbered, lettered, fueled—readied
Vowels forming words,
Passenger combinations,
Multiplicites abound.

Lettered aeroplanes,
Form new words & sentences,—
One lone passenger.

White-lily perfume,—
In a rush all passersby,
Cut today wither.

¿Cut today, wither?
¿Cut today, whither?
(Toil not yet clothed in glory.)
(Fleur-de-lis—power's symbol)
(Compass needle point me North.)

Flashing lighs—hazard,
Police—fire—ambulance,
Moving quickly,—death.

A thousand cranes,—One.
A thousand planes—Many.
Still—All—Connected.

¿How to explain verse,
Across time's solitude?
Everything transmutes.​

 

Terminal to Terminal Renga

17 September 2004
Dallas-Fort Worth Airport, Texas

Little trains slither,
Terminal-to-terminal,
Interminably.

Frog sits on calm pond,
Jumps through glassy mirror'd plane,—
Disappears from sight.

Samurai-poet,
Bashõ speaks through far time's warp,—
Clear the moment true.

Train in dark tunnel,
Black-glass reflected faces,—
Geometric plane.

Dusty window out,
No reflection of my face,—
Crowd waits for the plane.

Sun entwined in glass,
Sound contained within & out,—
Only soul can see.

She's always perfect,—
Fingernails, lips, hair & eyes,—
¿Where does her time go?

Eager to arrive,
Everyone takes bold-quick steps,—
No rush at the gate.

Children ask questions,
¿When are we going & where?
Death calm sits and waits.​

 

Grey Smoke Renga

Daughter's doing chem,
I—gray cigar alchemy,
Tuning molecules.

3 October 2004
Corpus Christi, Texas

Smoke blows out,—drifts, . . .
Gray breeze wafts past me so soft,
Mosquito,—wards off.

Gray encumber'd day,
¿Is it clouds or cigar smoke?
¿Does it matter?—Now, . . .

Shaman tobacco,
Wisps of prophecy untold,
Everything unfolds, . . .

Little frogs squeak—creak,
Seek each other with a tweak,
Life's beat flows—quick creek.

I whisper your name,—
Two citronella candles,
Votive this prayer.

I can never be,
Lonely or empty long as,—
Life lives in your song.
(Life's dreams sounds your song,)
(Life's dreams sing your sounds.)

Bitter-sweet basil,
Green-fresh with rain-dew flavor,
Encompasses time.

Ashes have fallen,
Remnants of what was exhaled,
Poesy so breathed.
​

 

Zen Renga

5-6 October 2004
Washington, D.C.

Right sight, left symbol,—
Soul perceives a desert bloom
In the heart's be-all.

Little thistles sing
Many epistles nestled,
Even though nettles.

Fukinsei—Asymmetry

Sym-a-sym metry,
Left ventricle dances right,
A-sync-opation.

Kanso—Simplicity

19 Bristled Thorn,
Thistle pick-stick-prick co-motion
(Thistle pick-stick-prick commotion)
Clarity intent.
(Clarity's intent,)
(Clarity intends.)

Koko—Austere Maturity

Wrong headed at times,
Stub-born—persistence—the rest,
Grey hairs laid on rock.

Shizen—Naturalness

Water absorb'd All,
Molds fitting Forms, but is None,—
Surrounds & is Us.

Orchid flower bloom'd,
Paphiopedilum,—¡Slut!
Everything reveal'd.

Seijaku—Silence

No-thing is quiet,
Nothing dead—Zero holds space,
¡Blank rice paper screams!

Wabi—Gloried Impermanence

Indian Summer,
Cool sunshine,—long stretch shadows,
Autumn's final days.

Sabi—Beautied Patina

Old man is fine wine,
She sings it, it must be true,—
Autumn nuanced hues.

Her wrinkled crease shows,—
Sunlight-shadow dappled face,
¡Oh, . . . it was a smile!

Shibui—Tart Sweetness

Mango spiced chutney,
Tropical preservative,—
Rotting—sweeten'd heat.

Datsuzoku—Unworldliness

I've lived past mirrors,—
Past nude semblance or desire,—
Maya—¡Get your grip!

Yugen—Reflection(s)

You are my soul's breath,
Gossamer perfum'd mist-dream,
Musk-Tawny wõman.

Roji—Garden Path

Time's ribbon unfurls,
Broad, bright, blue, bannered möbius,—
¡Oh, it whirls backwards!​

 

Night Club Dancers's Renga

4-7 October 2004
Washington, D.C.

Natives dance for luck,
Womb's fertility or field's,—
Don't wiggle buttocks.

Cold beer—warm cigar,
The dance is no different here,—
Pay as you go, ¡Bud!

Things that can't be bought,
Earth-moon-sun—soul's firmament,—
Cash takes all the rest.

Constricted play field,
Restricted—only dancers,
—Except, when men pay.

It was his birthday,
In a room full of dancers,—
¡What a way to go!

Unencumbered place,
Brass poles to the ceiling,—
Up-Down—Hell-Heaven, . . .

Audience all mixed,
Young-old—laborers-execs,
Dance goddess dream-world.

Pilsner is the beer,
Every dancer is a blonde,—
But I like dark ale.

White-haired well-dressed gent,
Handmade shoes, suit & silk tie,—
Kiss-Hugs-Tips dancers.

Every song is fresh,
Resounding beat—no oldies,—
Gyrating they move.
(Gyrating they dance.)

Smart to seem Easy,—
A tease elicits—cash, . . . flow,—
¿Why man-woo-man so?

Old man to the stage,
Examines—¿What?—remembrances,—
Time all habits forms.

They all say thank you.
Kiss the customers that pay,—
¿Why don't I get hugs?


Feynman loved this so,
But he thought quantum physics
Charmed quarks dancing wild.
(Light—matter interacting.)

Full split on the stage,
Arched backwards, knees to blond hair,—
Flesh'd rainbow stretch'd out.

¿What's the quivering?
Buttocks frenzied, shivering,—
Must require training.

¡Oh my G-d, pull-ups!
Looks like a man to me though,
Audience goes wild, . . .

¿Why am I so cold?
¿How can some kind words excite,
Yet, flesh'd woman not?

Life's ballet plays on,
Rap, hip-hop, dance—all with beats,
No tutus fluff here.
(No tutu's fluff here.)

¡Hell, I want to dance!
¿Who cares if they wiggle ass?
The beat's all inside.

Mechanical moves,
Marionettes without rhythm,
Blond paroxysms.
(Bland paroxysms.)

Nipple coverings,
Make the dancers not nude here,
¿Who's dancing naked?

Point seven hip to waist,
Plenty of breasts and ass too,
Eye-candy swirling.

(A Hip-to-Waist ratio of 0.7 or less is pleasing to most men.)

¿Is my mind removed?
In India at age fifty,—
Pilgrimage starts out.

To have reached an age,
Where only bare truth matters,
¡Thanks penicillin!

Mentality's child,
¿Is everything detachment?
¿Why must symbols rule?

¿Does mind seek body?
¿Is this pro-creation's call?
¿Should there be feelings?

Synthesized music,
Falsetto breasts and motions,
She sings "Purple Rain."

Silver spoon'd child writes,
Never having to grovel,
Plead at your own death.

Dancers leave street-clothed,
They look like anybody,—
Heart skips at this thought.

Cost of pint's same,
U.K.—D.C.——Pound—Dollar,
Dance—Conversation.

Maybe the cigar,
Bitter-grey-smokes the show's edge,—
Time to go eat food.

Or, maybe its age,(Or, maybe its ale,)
Cynic view of blond movements,—
(Cynic view of bland movements,—)
Autumn disperses, . . ​

 

Roji Haiku

Wandering darkness
Whilst we think we see,—Stumbling
Blindlly find lost road.

12 October 2004
SW 1223 to Providence, Rhode Island

Road's but reflection,—
Nestl'd nettl'd—briar'd patch, . . .
Fall reveal'd, . . . ¿Leading?
(Fall reveal'd . . . leading, . . .)

Road's but quilt-work patch,
Nestled nettles,—briar path,—
Fall revealed, . . . ¿Hiding?
(Fall revealed, . . . . . . hiding, . . .)​

 

Faded Line Haiku

21 September 2004
Taunton, U.K.

Love, You've embroidered,
Patterns faded rose—linen,
Heart that didn't Know.

Mikhail Pletnev plays,
Scarlatti sonatas suave,
Haunting color fades.

Hanging in the hall,
Castle Hotel—old stone wall,
Embroidered a rose.

Oh, Love embroidered
(Oh Love-embroided,)
(Oh Love, embroidered,)

Patterns linen faded-Rose
(Pattern'd linen faded, Rose,)
(Patterns line jaded-Rose,)
(Pattern'd lines chafed-Rose,)
(Patterns perfum'd faded-Rose,)

In a Heart unknown.​

 

All the Colors

17 October 2004
Corpus Christi, Texas

—§¶––"•"––¶§—

Recalcitrant white,
Recalculates calcium,
Reflecting all life.

Reflectivity,
Without selectivity,
White discards all else.

Incarnadine blood,
Burning across Fall's forests,
Chestnuts falling down.

Tangerine slivers,
Burning from a crack of sky,
Cerulean smiles.

Melted sage butter,
Dandelion dreams smoothly,—
Tongue warmed essences.

Basil shining greens,
Bell pepper crushed on white teeth,
Chlorophyl pastries.

—§¶––"•"––¶§—​

 

Mustard Renga

Automatic road,
Admiring yellow fields's sprawl,
When suddenly, ¡Blam!
Big black bug burst blears windshield,
Indelible mustard stains.

22 October 2004
Highway 77 South towards Victoria, Texas

Puffed splendor—grey-white,
One thousand ships fly on high,
Heaven—war and peace.
(Heaven's war and peace.)

Muster'd mustard flags,
Overfly yellow-green grass,—
(Overfly flowing green grass,—)
Meadow's ocean waves.
Meadow—ocean waves.
Meadow ocean weaves.
Mustard flowing flags,

Happy yellow fed,
Windshield flier—splattered bled,
Everyone's last meal.​

 

Frog Haikus

Early morning run
Along puddled lonely ways
Little toads happily splash.

22 October 2004
College Station, Texas

Two rippled circles,
Waves merge and blend to time's beats,—
(Waves merge and blend to timed beats,—)
Reflective clear pond.

Concentric circles,
Spreading singing splashed measures,
Timpano delights.

–—""–—​

 

¿Mind or Heart?

Words fit into scheme,—
¿Come they from the heart or mind?
¿Does the soul compare?

23 October 2004
Corpus Christi, Texas

""—"•"—""

¿Which ones to write down?
Ones mentality full gowns,—
¿Or, heart's hidden ones?

""—"•"—""​

 

27 October 2004—Lunar Eclipse Renga

¡Look!—Crazy Selene,
Doubt I not her faithfulness,
True to me she's been.

24 October 2004
Corpus Christi, Texas

Moon's face will occult,—
Then, you will know
I'll cry Love momentary.
(I'll cry Love monetary.)

Blushing moon scarr'd hides.
Seeking answers—prying eyes,—
(Prying eyes—seeking answers,)
(Seeking eyes—prying answers,—)
¿Why her lonely life?

Moon plays hide-go-seek
¿But suspended in the skies,
—Thinks she Sun can't find?

Go my friends and watch,
Our rounded chronometer,
(Our oldest chronometer,)
(Our nearest chronometer,
Our dearest chronometer,
Our closest chronometer,
Wind herself again.

¿Why should moon black out?
¿Are there not enough dark veils?
—Ah, it's just some rouge.

Eclipse Wednesday,
Alignment earth, moon and sun,
Shadow of the earth.

Dark rusted reddish,
Suspended up in the sky,
Ruth Laredo plays,
Scriabin piano fantasies,
Twirling heart round melodies.​

 

Little Toad Whine

(5,7,7)

Washing down back yard,
I noticed her, hiding coy,
Avoiding harsh streaming hose.

24 October 2004
Corpus Christi, Texas

(5,7,7,5)

Frog complains of hose,—
Too much water flowing woes,
How human to find measures,
For surfeit's pleasures.​

 

Two Lip Haiku

¡Oh yes, don't you see!
This is the same one-hand-clap,
Except—¡It's with two warm lips!

8 July 2004
Newport, Rhode Island

Two lips—warm tulips,
Rounded smoothness—silken tongues,
Enveloping dreams.
(Every spectrum's dreams.)
Every spectrum dreams.
Each spectator dreams.
Every specter's dreams.

Hell, ¿Why'd I write this?
¿Gorgeous creature with great lips?
Fleeting memories.​

 

Short Joys

Nine months—mother's womb,
Fixed-dark makes human beings,
Wander century,
Lost in sunny airy world.
Dreaming Heaven's pleasure dawn.

26 October 2004
Corpus Christi, Texas

Nine months,—human beings,
Travell'd short before ends—¿There's?—
(Travell'd short before ends—Theirs—)
(Travell'd short before ends—¿Theirs?—)
Diverse coloured things.
(Diverse joyous things.)
(Diverse flavoured things.)​

 

Helianthus Haiku

Glance at sage green stalks,
Daisies yellow flowered full,
Laden—bent by black.

27 October 2004
Corpus Christi, Texas


Humble stray daisies—
Helianthus annuus—wild,
Populate the fields.

Thirteen small black birds,—
Slender sunflower stalks sway weights, . . .
Autumn's ornaments.​

 

Autumn Sun

Running rhythm's song—'s
Sang in yellow sunshine beams,
Autumn's warm and dry,
Southern Texas cheery bright,
Brr to think of northern climes.

27 October 2004
Corpus Christi, Texas

Chromium heat bleeds,—
(Chromium heart bleeds.)
Beams bright blanch'd blaring— burns, . . . blinds, . . .
While sweat warm wet weeps.
(Wet sweat warm weeps,—whiles, . . .)​

 

Morning Full Moon Renga

Early cloudless sky
Full moon shines, ¿What does She mean,
(Full moon shines, ¿What shaman She,)
Quetzalcoatl?

27 October 2004
Corpus Christi, Texas

Full moon suspended.
At huge white face, dogs barked,—
¿Disbelief?¿A thief?

Full moon, wan, pretends.
Early morning's fulgor,—tends, . . .
Twilight's eclipse pends, . . .

A.M. empty sky,—
White disc sinks, thinking slowly,—
Tonight's eclipse sly.

Selene's white, —restless,—
¿Why powdered,—expressionless?
While tonight she hides.

Constant dog barking,
Ranting at white bowl sparkling,
Reaction darkling.​

 

Eclipsed Romance Renga

Strange this heartbeat high,
Up on heaven's darkened vault,
Suffusing silver
Then shifting to dull orange.

27 October 2004
Corpus Christi, Texas
On the occasion of a full lunar eclipse

Two hundred fifty
Thousand miles of voided space
Occult the moon's face.

Sunrises's leak light,
Stain eclipsed moon to copper,—
No lid for sun's sight.

Sky swallows up moon.
¿Or is it just a dark veil?
Doom's harbinger red.

Eighty six cursed years,—
Without moon Red Sox's world sweep.
(Incarnadine Sox world sweep.)
¿Who's superstitious now?

Lone full moon,—sight's rise.
(Lone full moon,—sights rise.)
(Lone moon full rises.)
Moisture suffused light,—ray's dance
(Moisture suffused radiance.)
Piques hiding,— love's face.
(Piques,— love's hiding face.)
(Piques love,—hiding face.)

—§—§§§—§§ §—§—"•"§

First Moon Tanka

Waves soft lap ashore,
Moon swath rippled ebony,
White shadow follows,
Reversing day's reveries,—
Inconstant moon—shifting sea.

Second Moon Tanka

Sitting on a rock,
Warm mist blurs binoculars.
Moon bloom looms—soft waves's
Wavering susurrations,
Gurgling gushing sea murmurs.

§—"•"§§—§§§—§§§— —

Sea—sight blurs, sound slurs,—
Sea—sights blur, sounds slur,—)
(Sea—sights's blurs, sounds's slurs,—
Breezes's breath soft soothes senses,—
Clouds begin to puff.

Moon contorted smile,
(Moon's contorted smile,)
(Moon's contorted smiles,
Never noticed pain before,—
Lonely vigils—night.

Across black bay lights,
Moon floods dark concavity,—
Ocean's mirth delights.

Small cloud puffs brisk sail,
Occulting full moon's glaring,
Evaporation.

Insect machines buzz,
Insect machines's buzz,
Moon—silken glows rotund—still,
Lights sparkling red-green.
Flights's sparkle red-green.

Smooth black ripples wave
Smooth black nipples wave
Perceptible above gaze,
Where moon beams don't glaze.
(Where moon beams just graze.

Earth's shadow covers
A sliver of her argent.
¡Ah, I love her so!

¿How did the Mayans feel
Seeing Quetzalcoatl's
Bareness hidden so?
Sacred snake weaving light-dark,—
Chromatic multiplumed god.

My heart suspiring,
My heart inspiring,
Expiring 'tween her smooth breasts,
¿How can she leave me?

Sitting,—watching daz'd,
Moon-earth alignment amaz'd,
Blackens night-sky glaz'd.

Sitting,—time's graces,
While,— moon-earth alignment awes,
Black night-sky glazes.
Blacken'd night-sky glaze.


Syzygy's sly dream,—
Mystery's glad fulfillment.
¿Where are you argent?

Slow dark grows 'cross glow,
So does love for you increase,—
Warm clear breath's soft blow.

In an hour of time,
Compressed expression—month,
Man, mortal small moth.

Recession recedes,
I know somewhere you watch as
Moon's heart opens wide.

In your night's boudoir,
Red rouge your cheeks possess love,
¡Smear it 'cross my face!

I recognize that,—
Half-moon hidden look of yours,
Teasing my heart, Love.

Half-moon has risen,
Occulting more her pale face,—
But, stars now glow near.
(But, stars now glow dear.)

¿What's there to be done?
If wordless you hide away,—
Without kisses sway.
(Without kiss's sway.)

I did not know that,—
You have a hidden half dear,
At times slow reveal'd.

Reddening you glow.
How tanned your rounded face grows,
Yet, sun shines less now.

Thin sliver of heart,
Dancing in clouded domains,
Leave me this last song.

—§—§§ —"•"§—§§§—§§

Third moon tanka

I didn't know you,
Until this night time revealed
(Until this night's time revealed)
What was so hidden
Beneath reflection's silver,—
Coal-red heart—full brimming love.

—§—§§§—§§§—§—"•"§

Blooming blood-red moon,
Blushing spread across your face.
(Blushing spreads across your face.)
¿You really love me?

Oh my distant love,—
In and out of clouds you go,
Teasing my poor heart.

I've never seen pink
So fill you face like this dear,—
Promise me your love.

¿Four years to wait then
'Til I see your face again
Truly as it is?

There's only tiny
Little bits of your old ways,—
Love's rose blush fill'd heart.

There's only moments
And you've decided to hide
Behind earth's shadow.

The world's sunrises
Fill your face with golden hues,—
Auroras's singing.

¿Are you impatient?
¿Or, do you pretend for me?
You chose this moment.

Halloween pumpkin,—
Possessed by witchcraft weirded,
You enthralled my heart.

It is all black now,
You, orange on smooth velvet.
¿How do you do this?

You disappear up,
Reappearing from downwards,
Copper grows silver.

Thirteen virgin hearts
Sacrificed so you'll come back
Quetzalcoatl.

Full moon drives dogs mad,
Some women become so sad,
Love is to be had.

High school class so smart,
Congregate and tell their jokes,
Mirth enamored night.
(Mirth fills enamored.)
(Mirth feels enamored.)

Moon makes them chatter.
I feel waves splash and splatter.
¿Love, what's the matter?

Strange how life fulfills
Promises made long ago
Soothsayer scripted.

¿And astronomy?
It writes the measured rhythms,
But rarely plays jazz.
(But barely plays jazz.)

Feet in ocean,
Eyes affixed upon crazed gaze,—
Still & mesmerized.

Blood red Ramadan,
Martyrs—Aztec rituals,
¡Blood calling more blood!

Undulating
Ocean's susurrations call
Copper you stare down.

¿Where is cherished heart?
¿Must it always dwell crazed mind?
Selene alluring.

Footsteps come & go
Upon moon sands resplendent,—
Ocean washes all.

—§—§§§—§"•"§ §§—§—

Fourth moon tanka

Moment's reverie,
Human sacrifice bloody,—
Man's naïvety
Thought acts heaven influenced;
And, moon harbinger of dark.

—§—§§§—§§§—§—"•"§

White cumulus sky.
¿Where are you now blood-red moon?
Chanting mad wan songs.

§—§—"•" —§—§§§—§§§​

 

Thursday Night Blues Renga

Nixed poetry slam,
So I drank ale and heard blues—
¡Didn't seem quite fair!

28 October 2004
Corpus Christi, Texas

Wailing guitar slides,—
A-minor blues resounding,
Horn born blue azure, . . .

Blues burst forth—throat-heart,
Gushing, rushing, blushing lush, . . .
Cry chromatic all,—
Crying chromatic,—)
(Cry chromatic blue,—

It's not the cold ale,
Not even cigar smoking,—
Just,—¡Pounding rhythm!

Big fat guy—black hat,
"Belts" blues—gut & all—tears heart,
Soul ripping apart, . . .

¿Why are the horns red,
When they roll low registers?—
Can't help it,—it's blues.
(Sweet tasting,—it's blues.)

Guitar riffs up-down,
Love key shifting minor ninth,
Blues progression rolls, . . .
(Heart progression rolls, . . .)

B.B. King oldie—
"Gives me fever, . . ."—hackles raise, . . .
"No one can love you, . . ."

Sustained emphasis,—
Blowing recirculating,—
¡Impossible note!

A bit of Coltrane,
Not bad for a local band, . . .
Chicago echo.

Forgot the red hat,
Checkered red-white—plucking bass,
Vibrating pulses.

Words don't match riff notes,
Yellow-blue sweated time smells,
Blending tobacco, . . .

$#˙˘•·ˇˆ/& $‚-–•&§¶¨ˆ/´°˜˝¸¯‡#†—‰ —–‚°˜¸˝´‰„​