Bitter Melon Tanka

I say firmly,
I can start over again . . .
their doubt
creeps in with each bite
of a bitter melon

Atlas Poetica, 22, 2015

ESL CLass Tanka

long break
after my ESL class . . .
nostalgia
walks in like a leper
with a warning bell

Atlas Poetica, 22, 2015

Note:  ESL stands for English as a Second Language.

Night Shift Tanka

walking home
from the last night shift . . .
I hold a copy
of my first chapbook
like the harvest of sorrow

Atlas Poetica, 22, 2015

Divorce Tanka

after the divorce
I run into my first love
on a misty night
like kids we play
Chinese Whisper

Atlas Poetica, 22, 2015

Shore Tanka

stitch after stitch
in the clothes I wear,
hope against hope
I will soon return home . . .
Mother alone on the shore

Atlas Poetica, 22, 2015

Snowy Days Tanka

the doctor said,
one day at a time ...
these snowy days
blend and blur
into each other

PoemHunter, August 26, 2015

White Crow Haiku

alone
at winter dusk …
a white crow

PoemHunter, August 25 2015

Look of Silence Tanka

a bottle gone
before my pain starts to fade
into blessed numbness ...
on this midwinter night
the look of silence

NeverEnding Story, August 16, 2015

Sand Haiku

the sand
slips through my clasped fingers…
autumn dusk

Hedgerow, 43, August 21 2015

Summer Reading Haiku

summer reading ...
my old dog on his back
yawns at the clouds

Hedgerow, 43, August 21 2015

Forget-Me-Nots Haiku

blooming
on both sides of the fence:
forget-me-nots

Hedgerow, 43, August 21 2015

Tangled Hair Haiku

this spring night
her hair is tangled
thoughts of him

PoemHunter, August 20 2015

Beginning and End, A Haiku Sequence

first date
under a budding cherry tree
we stand still

my hand
skims her soft curves
summer moon

pieces of her note
zigzag to the doorway
lone cry of a crow

another dawn
cherry tree branches laced
with snowdrops

NeverEnding Story, August 10, 2015

Light And Shadow Haiku

play of light and shadow
on The Way of Haiku
lingering scent

PoemHunter, August 18 2015

Summer Heat Haiku

summer heat
on a black car hood
White Power

PoemHunter, August 15 2015

If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?

A Haiku Sequence

winter moonlight
on my pillow
a strand of her hair

butterflies mating
in a dream
the need to touch my ex

thread by thread
I untangle thoughts of her …
April snowflakes

NeverEnding Story, August 4, 2015

Dripping Faucet Haiku

dripping faucet
and a pile of dishes ...
midwinter morning

Whispers, August 10, 2015

Cherry Petals Haiku

raft of cherry petals
making a turn
the shadow and I

Whispers, August 10, 2015

Snowy Peaks Haiku

cloud upon cloud
along the snowy peaks ...
her unspoken words

Whispers, August 10, 2015

Quilt of Blossoms Haiku

scent of the morning air ...
the breeze pulls over me
a quilt of blossoms

Whispers, August 10, 2015

Bare-Knuckled Roots Haiku

an oak tree
with bare-knuckled roots ...
alone at twilight

Whispers, August 10, 2015

In between Sea and Mountain

the sun in flames
below the sea horizon
red dot on her forehead

the full moon
over the mountain peak
that night we met

NeverEnding Story, July 30, 2015

Skinheads Tanka

face to face
with a group of skinheads
in broad daylight
we raise our middle fingers ...
me and my shadow

Blueline and Red Thread, 2015

White Crows Tanka

at twilight
three white crows on the wire ...
his words linger,
Don't get all P.C. on me.
It's tribal, not racist

Blueline and Red Thread, 2015

Wine Glass Haiku

writing haiku ...
my wine glass fills
with sunlight

Chinese Translation

撰寫俳句 ...
我的酒杯充滿
陽光

Hedgetow, 41, August 2015
reprinted in  Ardea, 6, 2016

Winter Shadow Haiku

foot by foot
the winter shadow
reaches a body

PoemHunter, August 7 2015

Windblown White Dress Tanka

at high noon I see
a woman pulling down
her windblown white dress ...
Marilyn Monroe's smile
held my young self each night

NeverEnding Story, July 17, 2015

Spider's Web Haiku

a spider's web
glistens with morning dew
mom's pearl necklace

PoemHunter, August 4 2015

Inglish Tanka

high noon sunlight
beats down on this rooming house...
the migrant
with a gap-toothed smile
says, I'm learning Inglish

Blueline and Red Thread, 2015

Chinglish Tanka

the tongues
of a maple tree
are bare ...
my loss of home
speaks in Chinglish

Blueline and Red Thread, 2015

Blue Butterfly Haiku

alone at twilight ...
a blue butterfly
here and gone

Hedgerow, 40, July 31 2015

Summer Night Haiku

my summer night
rounding
into a crescent moon

Hedgerow, 40, July 31 2015