the old pine-tree
speaks divine wisdom;
the
secret bird
manifests
eternal truth
-Zenrinkushu
This book is dedicated to the spirit of haiku, which was born in Japan centuries ago, but is alive in the hearts of poets everywhere today
SPRING
looking back
at the fullest moon
a round-faced
frog
new year's day
the first greeting
called by a
crow
in thin sunlight
the cold
of another year
pinetree breeze,
in the color green
spring
begins
breeze blowing
cool in a stream
pine-shadows
flow
in a stream
ice unfreezing
cloud after cloud
sunrise spreads
on the frozen reeds
ice drips
red
winter melts
breaking from the reeds
a thaw of
wings
parting at dawn
clouds in the lake
reveal a
peak
spring begins
ducks on the lake
deep in
clouds
in water-rings
left by the mallards
first spring
light
cool daybreak
rivermists rising
dampen wings of
birds
geese unreturned
far from the reeds
a chill green
sky
still enfolded
in the iris buds
first warmth
cold remains
in a single shadow
of the white
iris
frost falls late
the white irises
burn with
cold
white irises
after the snowfall
the leaves are
seen
reflecting sunrise
dew is pink
on the white
iris
clear inlet
purple ripples
below the irises
ripples whiten
reflecting egrets
as day
begins
by a willow-bank
wings in the water
as spring
begins
a silent wind
in the water stirs
reflected
leaves
wisteria pond
reflections color
a lavender
swan
evening sunlight
a swan's shadow
cools the
lilies
evening pond
a swan's silhouette
phases the
moon
quiet night
a black swan stirs
stars on the
reeds
shedding breeze
the wings of a swan
part the
reeds
a bird calls
another answers,
the lake mirrors
the haze
white heron
all but its cry
lost in the haze
fields grow hazy
entering whiteness
a bird's
voice
following spring geese
swiftly return
waves in
the bay
geese returning
from the reed tips
wings brush
the dew
geese returning
below the azaleas
a
stream runs red
sunset glow
though clouds
return
red-winged geese
dawn of day
a red
camellia falls
on its reflection
night lightning
between flashes
a
camellia fell
day has come
in a rift of haze
chrysanthemum
flowers
waning moon
far from its light
a blossomless
plum
thinning moon
by its dim light
blossoms grow
cold
buds of plum
starting to unclose
a half-blown
moon
moon slender
each blossom unfolds
a purer
white
taken for moonlight
lighting a path
the
plum's white
here alone
where no plums bloom
the day
darkens
moon eclipsed
each blossom of plum
haloed with
light
snow on branches?
or blossoms perhaps
unwilling
to fall
cherry flowers
and my lips too
uselessly
rouged
enwrapping
the cherry flowers
pink spring
haze
on a hillside
white azaleas become
a moonlit
night
spring rain
from white wisteria
fragrance
drips
leaving only
its scent in haze
white wisteria
a bell tolls
peal after peal
of lilac scent
cooled among pines
drenched with rain
the bell's
voice
first daylight
turns into a rain
wetting
stones
by a waterfall
coolness of petals
wet by
spray
flowing
one into another
stream-skies merge
gazing upstream
from a woman's shadow
spring
water flows
hills grow light
following my shadow
I enter
spring
old garden
into emerald moss
dew sinks deep
garden quiets
leaves spill light
into a pool
spring river
parting the green
a single stone
a dark river
emptying the sound
into a quiet
night
quiet night
in between frogs
the stream sound
stream in dusk
stars here and there
starting
croak
stars appear
the river's flowing
with voices of
frogs
midnight pond
frogs call across
the moon's
reflection
frogs unheard
in a dry streambed
silence
flows
the slow day
footsteps on a bridge
dwindle then
cease
measured out
by the inch worm
the slow day
quietness
blossoms fall onto
reflections of
clouds
an egret rises
a snowfall of blossoms
descend
sunlit wind
blowing shadows from
a petaled
plum
flowers scatter
touched by wind
a koto
sounds
blossoms fallen
bare branches now
full of
clouds
flowers falling
a pheasant grieving
ceaselessly
cries
cockscomb flowering
a pheasant's voice
somewhat
red
sand raked
the garden is peaceful,
an evening of
spring
quietly
on quiet grasses
a firefly shines
first firefly
in the stone lantern
it light is
cool
cool in dusk
a fall of water
mirrors fireflies
here and there
fireflies reveal water
an evening a
haze
spring is ending
in the chilly dusk
between
fireflies
cooling its wings
on the handmirror
first
butterfly
butterfly off
on the white iris
a shadow
remains
crossing a bridge
with departing spring
a butterfly
shadow
vanishing spring
a butterfly disappears
into
shadows
spring leaving
a woman in fields
recedes in
haze
unable
to detain spring
a mourning dove cries
gate latched shut
spring departing
even so
SUMMER
worn away
by cries of cicadas
the thin
daymoon
summer begins
shadow of a stone carp
enters the
stream
wind dies
clouds enter stillness
in a small
stream
the coolness
flowing in a stream
fan-shaped
clouds
dawn ebbtide
stranded among rocks
peach-colored
clouds
cloud month
white flowers high
in the
field-sky
vine flowers open
white in dusk
the moon unfurls
carried by wind
wild jasmine scents
the far hill
clouds
clouds in sea and sky
in between
a gull's cry
falls
summer is here
to a cuckoo's call
hills grow
light
herons calling
over a cove gathers
a flock of
clouds
heron dive
in a small pond
clouds overflow
herons away
in the stream edge
clouds
increase
summer sea
waves are splashing
the risen moon
water ripples
stirring the breeze
the round
fan-moon
a white parasol
opens on the bridge
the risen
moon
waterlilies open
among them a moon
lily white
white in dusk
petals of a lotus
unfold the
moon
as a guest
of the white lotus
the moon
appears
night lightning
dew on the lotus
faintly
gleams
night rain over
moonlight runs off
the taro
leaves
a loon cries once
dusk seeps into
the water's
edge
heron's scream
the echo from shore
overtaken by
dusk
evening dunes
west wind carries
the shadow of a
bird
summer waves
gull voices rusty
in salt spray
taken for dawn
a flight of white
wings over
waves
inlet shallows
dusk slowly fills
a bottomless
boat
evening shallows
by a crow reflection
an early
star
boats returning
a woman's shadow
waits on the
tide
between hills
sunrays unfold
a red pleated
fan
dawn unfolding
the ruby pheasant
spreads its
tail
hibiscus flower
a hummingbird
spills ruby dew
sun rises hot
everywhere trembles
dew on the
grass
white butterfly
its shadow is cool
on the paper
fan
a white butterfly
also is there
the white
poppies
blue butterflies
coolness is visible
over the
grass
by this path
where we part forever
bindweed in
flower
summer field
only wild sunflowers
hold up the
sky
light enters
the path narrowed
by white
sunflowers
last sunray
a single white peony
lights the
dark
summer dusk
the paper lantern
lit by a
firefly
temple dusk
the firefly lights
the Nio's
face
Nio, a demon-like carved image which guards the gates of a temple.
fireflies scatter
like sparks struck
from the full
moon
summer moor
after the lightning
flash of
fireflies
forked lightning
a grass snake's tongue
flicks in
and out
dark grasses
lightning narrows
in the cat's
eyes
summer pond
carp circle in
the cat's green
eyes
green-banded melons,
asleep among the vines
a fat
striped cat
one eye open
a cat eyes the fly
midsummer
heat
tiger year
among spotted lilies
fierce
mosquitoes
tattoo parlor
within the dim shop
mosquitoes
whine
flies seem unable
to settle for long
the slow
day
the silence
coming unraveled
cicadas crying
the loom stops
cicadas shuttling
back and
forth
noon siesta
in dreams also
cicadas cry
slow afternoon
weary with cicadas
a scarecrow
leans
cicadas shrill
haze over a field
hangs in
shreds
cicadas shriek
the saw cuts
into green wood
clouds in tatters
the daymoon pale
voice of the
cicada
summer cicadas
with their voices
clouds are
frayed
dry lake bed
voices of cicadas
break in waves
dry arroyo
voices of cicadas
turn to dust
days pile up
cicadas increasing
voice on
voice
cicadas
when they stop awhile
a bit of
coolness
a cicada crying
its voice darkens
an empty
field
an early moon
breeze also cools
the cicadas'
voice
Indian summer
in grass shadows too
there is a
wind
insects increasing
moonrise lengthens
shadows of
grass
summer field
the path dividing
voices of
insects
summer half gone
the shadow of a crow
divides a
field
dry arroyo
leaving with summer
a crow's
shadow
summer-low clouds
cooled by the blades
of a
windmill
summer passing
slower the windmill
shadow
turns
wind rises
voices of plovers
bend in the reeds
at summer's end
lightning here and there
in
standing water
where's summer gone?
a scarecrow points
to an
empty field
summer is gone
countless white wings
take sudden
flight
summer's end
white papers flutter
on an empty
beach
summer gone
dusk darkens the eye
of a carousel
horse
summer over
only shadows ride
the carousel
AUTUMN
end of autumn
the arrow gone from
a scarecrow's
bow
a broken gate,
in the wild grasses
summer has
passed
wings of monarchs
carry autumn colors
to a summer
fields
start of autumn
nothing in a field
but the wind's
voice
start of autumn
in pines the wind
finds a
voice
clouds grow high
autumn in
the killdeer's cry
mountains hazy
as if in a scroll
clouds with
birds
autumn here early
over a ridge of hills
geese-shaped clouds
sandhill cranes
wings touching clouds
shaped by
wind
herons depart
leaving lonely
the inlet sky
swift to shore
white-crested waves
return like
cranes
a crane alights
on its reflection
close to an
autumn day
crane's white cry
edged with moonlight
wings are
cool
on tinted leaves
in various colors
the clear
dew
reeds redden
a dragonfly ripples
the setting
sun
in clear water
fallen red leaves
disguised as
carp
autumn passes
willow leaves fall
onto a moored
boat
birds leaving
leaves redden on
a wild
goosevine
solo renga
voice of a stray
lone wild goose
geese gone
one white feather
settles on a
reed
calm lagoon
over the moon's image
a passage of
birds
leaving tonight
shadow after shadow
autumn-geese
moon
full moonrise,
entangled in the reeds
the voices of
geese
voices of geese
falling into ravines
are lost in
the mist
a hazy moon
where faintly calling
wildgeese
disappear
edge of moon
cries of first geese
sharpen with
cold
leaving the bow
of autumn's new moon
arrows of
geese
reeds thinning
on the river stones
bird shadows
depart
dry magnolia leaf
in the darkness only
the sound
falls
sudden sound
of wind in dry leaves,
a woman looks
back
leaves have fallen
evening rain darkens
the voices
of deer
chilly
over inlet stars
a stag's voice
a stag calls
and echo answers
the autumn
peaks
autumn peaks
call of deer echo
a blowing
conch
conch shaped moon
hillside trumpet flowers
silently blow
first cold wind
vine flowers wither
on their
shadows
autumn wind blows
under chrysanthemums
shadows
cool
cold increasing
reed shadows too
a bit withered
pampas plumes
the wind's color
as autumn begins
silverleaf maple
breeze over leaves
becomes a
color
insects singing
in the windbent grass
the moon's
cool
autumn field
insect voices narrow
the grassy
path
autumn grasses
among the insects
our shadows
part
slow to part
shadows overtake us
on the evening
moor
adding our voices
to those of insects
we part on
the moor
lighting the lamp
voices of insects
surround my
shadow
in the color
and shape of a crow
darkness
settles
autumn dusk
light from a doorway
crosses the
road
autumn dusk
a moth lonely too
circles the
flame
moonless night
seemingly lonely
the lunar moth
The luna moth is commonly called lunar.
traveler's moon
departing in dusk
the gypsy
moth
now to the lamp
no tiger moth comes
autumn's full
moon
tanabata
among the insects
sound of a
loom
Tanabata is a festival of the yearly meeting between the herd-boy and weaver-girl stars on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month.
the Stars parting
cries of insects
pierce the
dark
telling the beads
insects mingle with
a praying
voice
chilly moonlight
in the stone lantern
a cricket
cries
insects few
cold moonbeams enter
a narrow
gate
fallen frost
insects cry in the shadow
of a
cross
cicadas
their voices wasted too
the autumn
wind
acorns patter
in fits and starts
cold cicadas
cry
cicadas silent
in dry locust leaves
cold has
settled
insect silence
dissolute in pines
the wind's
voice
autumn departing
the wind's color left
in a stand
of pines
day lingers there,
that lonely hill where
pine
and cedar stand
in the spot where
a scarecrow once stood
in
insect cries
autumn at an end
the scarecrow's shadow
declines
sheet lightning
the scarecrow's face
is turned
away
as though shot
the moon falls past
the
scarecrow's bow
a bird departs
following its shadow
autumn at an
end
autumn over
in sorrow a stag
is crying out
in the glass
of a fallen windchime
broken autumn
sky
WINTER
winter seclusion
smoke from a teapot
companionably rises
winter beginning
a bird's voice follows
a frozen
stream
winter dawn
a cock's cold voice
lightens into
snow
geese cries fade
fall snow erases
the water's
edge
faster snowfall
a crow's voice whitens
from pine
to pine
reeds disappear
snowfall whitens
the heron's
voice
flying through snow
a grebe's calling
moonlit
voice
herons gone
the lake-edge mirrors
ceaseless
snowfall
at the year end
heronless reeds
collecting
snowfall
without any color
silence at dusk
falls as
snow
answering the door
no one there
the swirling
snow
winter seclusion
on the empty loom
a spider
weaves
cold deepens
the sound of fircones
striking the
frost
glazed with ice
chrysanthemums frozen
on their
shadows
the long night
in a glass paperweight
snowflakes
settle
longest night
sitting side by side
two dolls
lean
night grows cold
shrill in anger
a woman's
voice
over and over
a stone kei sounds
cold
grows the night
Kei, a type of stone clapper used in a Zen monastery.
the iron ladle
sparks on the well-stone
the
evening is cold
marking graves
white crosses in rows
under a
winter moon
colder moonshine
on a graveyard stone
without a
name
cold at night
hooves of deer spark
on the stone
bridge
hoofbeats clatter
over the bridge
the moon cold
with one cry
of the mateless deer
night grows
cold
night deepens
the big dipper spills
cold white
dew
lyra constellation
wind sounds through
invisible
strings
moonlight slants
fanning from clouds
a white
peacock's tail
cold at night
the white moon shatters
on the
waves
over frozen waves
plover voices whiten
into a
night of frost
plovers crying
cold in the reeds
the moon's
color
sun freezing
a crane cry turns
waves to ice
ducks calling
crossing the lake
voices are cold
dispersing cold
the sound of wings
over the
ice
deep in winter
suspended in ice
waterfall
sound
year-end frost
whitens the sleeves
of a
scarecrow
the year's end
lonelier that field
with no
scarecrow
end of the year
a somber sun shines
on the
withered sedge
year-end snowfall
collects on the backs
of the
water birds
the year's end
a quiet rain soaks
the withered
chestnuts
winter at an end
light begins filling
a glass
paperweight
________________________________________________________________________
PREVIOUS PUBLICATIONS
A number of the haiku (or versions of haiku) compiled in this book have previously appeared in the following publications:
Dragonfly, Frogpond, Modern Haiku, Wind Chimes, New Cicada, Ko, Inkstone, Dasoku, Haiku Zasshi Zo, Plover, Mirrors, Hawaii Education Association. Contest Anthologies: Na Pua'oli 1981-83, Na Pua'oli 1985-87, Write On, HEA! 1989, Na Pua'oli 1987 - 90
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
There are two people whose help was instrumental in the production of this book and whom I wish to thank.
My husband, Kirk, kindly produced the illustrations, gave me advice and read over the manuscript. Jane Reichhold provided invaluable help in lending her expertise, her skills as typesetter, and de facto editor, as well as giving encouragement and moral support.
Without their generous help, it is doubtful that this book would ever have been published.
White Crow Haiku
Copyright © 1990 by Anna Holley
All rights reserved
ISBN: 0-944676-36-7
Library of Congress Number:
90-083298
AHA Books , POB 767 Gualala, CA 95445 USA
_______________________________________________________________________
May I see another book ?