2016 First Haiku Meeting: January 9
Moderator: Crystal Brunelli
walking on the carpet of fallen leaves
to the bus stop
Midori Suzuki
small New Year’s ornament
my sister’s bedside
ill for a long, long time
Midori Suzuki
first shrine visit—
the mystery we call God
in all quietness
Michiko Murai
shrine’s gravel path
a stone shaken from my shoe
the solemn, holy day
Michiko Murai
Hakone Relay Marathon
the runners passing us in a blink
the waves of flags
Hideo Ebihara
the New Year visitor crows
occupying the ripe persimmons
in a small garden
Hideo Ebihara
hop step jump
toward tomorrow
his New Year ambitions
Ikken Ikemoto
till another yearend Seven Lucky Gods
Ikken Ikemoto
one persimmon
on the parent’s grave
from my garden
Persimmon one from the garden parent’s grave
Ikken Ikemoto
near the shrine
all dark sparrows
puffed out
Takeo Hanaoka
in sylvan park
breathe the sound
of New Year
Takeo Hanaoka
wintersweet—
getting seasick
from the scent
Yasuhiko Shirota
winter peony
clear
in pale red
Yasuhiko Shirota
a single plum blossom
like waxwork
daytime moon
Motoko Sato
kites in line
rise up to a blue sky
the New Year message
Motoko Sato
winter night
a one-sided conversation
with the white wall
Michi Umeda
hot sake savored alone
my confidante
in a distant country
Michi Umeda
a single leaf
of longevity
stays on the bare branch
Tenshi Sakai
there’s no one
worn away swing
in winter park
Tenshi Sakai
this January
no joy of driving my used car
--now declared disused
Masaaki Oka
a new car
to inherit the same number
of the old
Masaaki Oka
haiku fragments
unfree from bare twigs—
“Aging?” “Not a haiku moment, now”
Yasuomi Koganei
in the moonlit
oil slick floating on the sea
--wrecked smuggler
Yasuomi Koganei
Fuki bud—
vitalization
of the earth
Kazuo Takayanagi
camellia in full bloom---
chief priest
retirement
Kazuo Takayanagi
the moonlit village
along the wintry ravine
dotted with houses
Sachiko Kondo
alone on a bus—
winter rain
on and off
Sachiko Kondo
carefully fitting
suitably
for the winter cap
Takashi Ikari
praying for eternity
The Great Terracotta Army
--shivered
Takashi Ikari
four seasons
within December 2015 in Tokyo
--abnormal weather
Kiyoshi Sugita
taking me back
to those good old days I miss
--work commencement on TV
Kiyoshi Sugita
purified soul—
the blue fern island
floats
Keiko Toya
hoping for peaceful days
after the severe year
2016 starts
Masako Omaki
quiet days
flowers and him in the photo
New Year’s alone
Masako Omaki
“Welcome home!”
family-made Osechi
five smiling “monkeys”
Yuzu Sugita
sunrise of New Year
from another world
shade of war behind
Yuzu Sugita
shoeshine man
polishes my boots’ shiny toes
dancing into New Year
Maki Hatanaka
Arizona Memorial
lifebelts on the wall
full of winter sun
Simone K. Busch (Germany, Tokyo)
helicopter’s roar
across the canyon—
a dragonfly
Simone K. Busch (Germany, Tokyo)
in those days
flying a kite in a park
with cheeks rosy
Mineko Takahashi
flower-petal-like rice cakes
my favorite
year’s first tea ceremony
Mineko Takahashi
the year of the Monkey
also called “Mashira”
has been blessed
Hiroshi Utano
winter cloud
sheltering the sight of an airplane
roar
Hiroshi Utano
continuity
between the old year and the new
habits of old age
Royal T. Fruehling (Hawai’I, USA)
stumped by computer glitch
help is on the way
nine-year-old grandson
Royal T. Fruehling (Hawai’I, USA)
to support your weight
step where the ice is thick
life’s journey
Stephen M. Block (USA)
an old car, well maintained
an old man, well maintained
the new year
Stephen M. Block (USA)
the half opened eyes telling
“Don’t disturb!”
among fallen leaves
Midori Tanaka
given
plenty of time with cats
in the sun
Midori Tanaka
A Capodanno
saran botti coi tappi
dello spumante
Anna Mencarelli (Italy)
On New Year’s Eve
there will be bangs
with sparkling wine’s corks
Anna Mencarelli (Italy)
Nel soleggiato
anomalo inverno
ho voglia di neve
Anna Mencarelli (Italy)
In the sunny
peculiar winter
I yearn for snow
Anna Mencarelli (Italy)
spring returning
to breathe in clean air
at the cemetery
Hanna Hansen (Denmark)
plum tree blossoms
distracting an old woman
but not her dog
Crystal Brunelli
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