My Ten Haiku, May 2008

MY TEN HAIKU

by

Gabriel Rosenstock, Ireland

foghorn at dusk ...

little by little

the world disappears

somewhere

in this dark universe

the voice of a crow is formed

was its spirit released?

branches of an old tree

all aflame

a glimpse of a god

in the eyes of a cat

following a moth

*

[This series will continue.]

MY TEN HAIKU

BY

Victor P. Gendrano, USA

misty afternoon

she takes a last look

at the leaving train

still in their box

the flowers start to wilt

Mother's day

sleepless night

I touch gently

her empty space

Father's Day

I add to my wardrobe

my son's outgrown shirts

midnight chill

I wait for New Year

alone

alone

at her favorite table

the jukebox plays our song

a lilly blooms

near a makeshift cross

war-ravaged field

Mother's day

my daughter brings her daughter

as a peace offering

raindrops roll down

the golden leaf

first day in hospice

she finally throws out

his half-empty cologne

New Year's day

Guidelines in writing haiku

When writing haiku, I try to follow these guidelines.

(1) Kigo, whether directly mentioned or implied, to

indicate the time and place.

(2) Juxtaposition, use of two different or seemingly

unrelated images to tie up the relationship between an

occurrence in nature and human interaction.

(3) Objectivity or detachment. As much as possible, I

try to exercise a certain measure of objectivity or

detachment, avoiding overt emotional response, showing

but not telling the reader what I, the author, want to

convey. A certain vagueness or mystery is a plus as it

may elicit more active reader participation.

Short Biography

I am a retired librarian. I write poems in English and

Tagalog, my native language as English is my borrowed

second language. My first book, Rustle of bamboo

leaves: Selected haiku and other poems was published

in November 2005. Presently, I am preparing two books

for publication, one is a collection of my newer haiku

and tanka poems, a sequel to my first book. The second

one is an anthology of the works of Philippine poets

whose works were published in the now defunct Heritage

magazine, an English quarterly, which I published and

edited from 1987 to 1999.

*

MY TEN HAIKU

by

Michael McClintock, USA

*

the moon

has found it for me,

a mountain path

a poppy . . .

a field of poppies!

the hills blowing with poppies!

done for the day

my dad brings to supper

the smell of turned earth

April funeral --

the weeping mother neatens

her son's perfect hair

the day heats up --

I make the dog's grave

deeper by a foot

twisting inland,

the sea fog takes awhile

in the apple trees

dead cat

open-mouthed

to the pouring rain

heat lightning . . .

all the way into Mexico

the mountains rise

not green itself

but a hint of it --

the slanting spring light

traveling, too,

on a seat by the window --

green melons

*

At this time in my writing life I try to have nothing in particular in mind when I write haiku. Pre-dispositions and formulas of any kind are so crippling and blinding! But of course I must be prepared and ready, and that means getting rid of those things I do not need to think, feel, or do. When I write a haiku I tell myself ---

1. Experience the subject at its center, whole, with the mind-and-heart.

2. Fit the arrow to the bow.

3. Aim-and-shoot. This also means: Do not lie.

I evaluate my haiku in light of these same three things.

Michael McClintock holds degrees from Occidental College and the University of Southern California in English and American Literature, Asian Studies, and Information Science. He lives and works in Los Angeles and Fresno, California, as a poet, anthologist of contemporary short form poetry, and independent scholar in the liberal arts and humanities. His work in poetry and essays on literary and art theory ran parallel to his career as principal librarian, film and recordings curator, and administrator for the County of Los Angeles Public Library System. McClintock's poetry has been widely translated and published internationally, including by Nobel Laureate, Czeslaw Milosz. His internationally acclaimed collection, Letters in Time: Sixty Short Poems, was published by Hermitage West in 2005. Meals at Midnight, a collection of tanka from Modern English Tanka Press, and Sketches from the San Joaquin, winner of the Turtle Light haiku chapbook competition, are due for release in 2008. He is married to artist Karen J. McClintock.