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Haiku of the Pacific Northwest
moon’s reflection
on white-capped sea
rising, falling.
northwesterly winds
on shallow hidden cove
anchor holds
kingfisher falls
upon lingering minnow
only ripples remain
heron on tideflats
stares at stranded minnows
slowly steps forward
still green water
faded wooded boat
no sounds
island cliff
tangled madrone trees
campfire smoke
frayed bow lines
softly creaking dock
hands mending nets
Indian child
grins at passing gull
teeth missing
beacon of light
splitting the darkness
the sound of foghorns
darkening clouds
tempest through the trees
children dashing home
bowling winds
rain in the darkness
crackling firewood
rain pool on the roof
dripping to the porch
new pool forms
through the fog
and early morning mist
the sound of unseen geese
in the pond
a feather spinning slowly
Winters arrival
behind the rooftops
and telephone poles
the Harvest Moon
forgetting the flue
on the first fire of Autumn
I choke
once adorning the tree
Autumn leaves
now adorn the roof
seagull, seagull
why do you so loudly scold
your begging child
little minnow
do you not know the water ends
at the surface
sounding like rain
pine needles fall
upon Autumn leaves
penetrating the dark
the last ember of the campfire
a shooting star!
incoming tide
gently places on shore
driftwood
hawk circling above
a rabbit runs this way
then another
huddled in the field
growing winter coats
ponies
young Indian couple
old and battered car
trailing blue smoke
Ceremonial masks
faces on the totem
forgotten meanings.
Spring in the islands
trees and scrubs
painted with the other’s pollen
the sound of Spring
reflected in the echo
of northbound geese
beachwalking at night
as I near
otters stop their play
circling back
as if something was forgotten
geese in formation
morning’s calm is broken
ducks loudly scatter
shadow of eagle passes
bird songs
echo through the woods
but none to be seen
minnows by the dock
scattered
by my shadow
face of nature
carved in the tangled driftwood
the spray of waves
tidepools by the shore
the pungent smell of seaweed
crabs scrambling
from atop the pine
drifts the last puff of down
a fledgling eagle
through the window
the cabins yellow light
warms the drifts of snow
eelgrass
in the crystal shallows
swaying
the cat on the dock
transformed into an otter
by my nearness
as if ready to sail
straining against its lines
the old sloop
the boat
becomes a cradle
the midnight winds
throwing grainy shadows
this way, then that
the gimbaled lantern
along the horizon
the sun and the tide
ebb
between light and dark
island silhouettes
fade
Winter bared
maple tree branches
like veins against the sky
open-mouthed ferry
consumes many cars
then disappears in fog
with a deafening blast
the ferry grows smaller
and smaller
raven, pigeon, gull
sharing a piece of driftwood
lessons can be learned
beside the creek
the last remnant of snow
grows smaller
yesterdays biting winds
now just whisper in the trees
a goodbye to winter
sweat on my face
aching in my back
one more cord to stack
A leaf falls
the wind is quiet
over the bay
swallows dive and loop
a boat moves slowly
through the harbor
the setting sun
now permits the moon
to shine its brightest
morning mist
the sound of sailors
casting off
the Stellers jay
I wish I could calm its fear
of me
moonlit night
the scent of wisteria
from the trellis
at dawn
gulls begin their search
for someone else’s food
Spring squall passes
from boats along the dock
people reappear
as the sun sets
the shadow of the cedar
meets the waters edge
behind the silhouette of geese
the full moon
it neither allows
nor prevents the taking of a rose
this thorn
eyes following
each passer-by
the old dog
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