wheelchair bound
the veteran feeds
a one-legged bird

World Haiku Review
Vol. 7, Issue 1, March 2009

The sun in the morning
On a network of a spider-
Lace of light

raspberry canes
whipped by the stiff breeze
oriental poppies

calendar pages--
between the dates
time escapes

.

night butterfly
what colour are you
in the daylight

stratus clouds
the moonlight behind it
my time on my own
.

conifer muskiness
the drumming of rain
on a plastic roof

Quiet morning
The pair of swans floats
So it is graceful

Rainbow -
It is conversation
Rain and the sun

drenched hair
musing her impression
first rain

.

sudden shower
the group of cows startled more
by a flock of jackdaws

falling in love
all over again with my wife
the cries of swifts



.

along the shore
a different wave of reflection
moon-lit night

*** *** ***

calendar pages—
between the dates
time escapes

*** *** ***

crow sails
on the rhino’s back
a new journey

courtesy car -
a blue pencil eye-liner
in the glove compartment


***

voiture de prêt -
un crayon à paupières bleu
dans le vide-poches

overnight rain
underscores the Greenery
Fuchsia pendulums open

Thence

thence a tulip sad
transformed into a cloud
and watered the thirsty
** **

..circa 2010
..Copyright 2010 Spiros Zafiris
..channeled; spirit Harmony
--------------------------------

thunderstorm
enjoying nature's power
while counting off seconds

i plant an onion
and wish
may it sprout soon
a day after
my fathers demise

raspberry flowers
like tiny white stars
lavender greens

breezy hammock night
a rosy cloud blooms
petal by petal

so sudden this sky
a tease of bright ribbons
subdued into blue

is it the sky's
unceasing motion
that brings its peace?

midday
my shadow catches up with me
as I walk down the street

cumulus clouds
a clattering of jackdaws
rearrange them

sticky front door

a chyak-chyak of jackdaws

peck at rooftiles

in an ad-break

a late bird call

pierces the night

the ivy sprouts

brown faces –

grub-hunting

sparrows

full hare moon
the clouds cluster around her
distant howling

Game of rain by drops
In solar patches of light-
May downpour

cherry trees -
swallows fly through
falling petals

vegetable garden
squash blossoms, tiny peppers
lettuce opening

a snapping breeze
bends the willows double
shy comfrey flowers

Bees exult,
Again flowers blossom
Yellow acacias

spring time
a rainbow forms
in the sprinkler
he waters the lawn
from his wheelchair

Modern English Tanka
Vol. II, No. 3, Spring 2008

spring recital -
a father's necktie too long
on his son

.

sick train-
the night heron shifting silt
near the swan's goslings
.

afternoon delight
men seated at red light
follow a swaying skirt

.

bright breeze
a white mallard rides shotgun
for the other ducks
.

a plumeria
at the graveyard
a robin keeps singing

.
river kingfisher
a grey wagtail defends
its right over fish
.

morning drizzle
new pond in the frontyard
fishless

season shift
a birdnest on the roadside
stalking the monsoon

cherry blossoms -
withered
to memories

cloud cover --
oppressive heat melts away
raspberry flowers

Ripens invisibly
The latent charm of a flower
Feelings transformation

after night silence
morning meets
by chirp of birds

The night sky
Light will be spilled in silence
The remote stars

lekking

hormone-crazed turkeys 
in the middle of the road 
strut in the best light

pastorale

Flocks of snow-white clouds 
 grazing in their blue pasture
 die and leave no trace

just after the rain
cutting back wysteria
me, the drenched fool

life takes an absence
amidst roaring cries--
a different silence

young girls
watching the bow of the sun
from the top of a hill

rainy day movie:
we talk of the book, missing
what they left out

washed linens
ruffled by a breeze --
snowdrifts a distant memory

I pick up
my aunt's paperweight
wispy clouds

dead amongst
the ruins of his home:
snail

trees in silhouette
salmon-pink vapour trails
as the sun sinks

casting
six-foot shadows:
father's apple seeds

.

goodbye to spring
a day spent watching dogs
walk their owners
.

Early morning,
Silence of bogs awakes
From shouts of frogs

Morning

Morning wind
Branches bends to water
Willow ashore

morning heat
staying in bed with a book
and birdsong

sun
taking my picture -
monochrome on the stream

hedge parsley
flowers with a sickly sweet scent
wild garlic counters

moonlight -
two chairs in the shadow
of the beach umbrella

***

clair de lune -
deux chaises dans l'ombre
du parasol

rainy days
mud escapes
between toes

sun on the meadow
an indignant sparrow
scolds the cat

SAREE

Clings to the body
her wet red saree
waving wrinkles

Darkness of the woods
Heightened by patches of sun
And unseen bird chirps.

morning break-
watching a baby deer prance
under the bridge

I look out
more leaves wave hello
it's my friend, the tree
** **

..circa 2010..Copyright 2010 Spiros Zafiris

----------------------------------

Overcast, grey
not a breath of wind
to stroke my hair

afternoon drive
the scent of honeysuckle
follows me uphill

ants--
around sugar grains
mammoth meeting

*** *** ***

sudden wind
falling leaves gather
in one corner

Forsythia trimmed
now the sparrows
sit elsewhere

soggy day 2
designing sunny garden bed
to pass the time

Patiently weaving
she keeps house in my absence--

a lone spider

a dog barks
as the sun clears the trees
blackbirds forage

spring meditation-
next to the old thoughts, some
curious new sprouts

soggy day-
wishing it rained energy
instead of the blahs

dreary morning
my knees announcing the rain
before it arrives

sun streaming
through moth-eaten curtains
a wood pigeon coos

aquilegia
nod their alien heads
dandelion clocks

Another Realm

an ointment, these words,
to soothe the leprechauns;
to promise more height
** **

..circa 2004
..Copyright 2010 Spiros Zafiris
..channeled; spirit Ram
------------------------------

.
Harinezumi-san
the stars shift around
with us

hedgehog

harinezumi

ハリネズミ

.

surrounded
and embraced with love
by family and friends
what more can I ask
for my birthday

afterschool playground
gentle breeze
swings the swing

the rain stops
another begonia bud
immersed in the sun

at the bus stop -
counting the swifts every time
they fly past

Haiku Chronicles

Haiku Chronicles


frogs--
colours jump
across the pond

drizzle -
lilac's clusters
grow heavy


***

pluie fine -
les grappes du lilas
s'alourdissent

surfing the net
to replace a favorite plant

cold enough
to make bare arms tingle
a sparrow's cheeping

a tune arrives
and the marvel to ensue
baffles even leaves
** **

..circa 2005
..Copyright 2010 Spiros Zafiris
..channeled; spirit Ram
--------------------------

window screen--
sun scripts
dance of the trees

in tune with the whoosh

of the espresso machine--

my migraine

the drum of rain -
snails
marching out

taking off my tie
a small walk around the garden
in the smell of lilacs

***

ôtant ma cravate
un petit tour de jardin
dans l'odeur des lilas

sun sparkles on wet leaves
ants are dragging food to a nest
from the compost bin

now
is always the best time
to weed

perseverating green
wandering wysteria
when did your petals fall?

so clear the stars
after the rain has ceased
I inhale the night

first light
passion flower leaves curling
againt the chill

a chipmunk and I
having breakfasts
one window apart

On the red garage
Leaf shadows dance and shiver
Until the sunshine fades.

morning chills
a colony of snails
on a flower tub

Fingers grope
taste of whisky
moist lips

afternoon showers
leaves swoosh by in the falls
children jump in puddles

hazy street light
bushy tail flicks then gone
under a bush

aquilegia blooms
from a crack in the paving
paper-thin petals

.

sitting cat
under the Big Dipper
under the streetlamp


.

escaped sunlight
on the woodland paths
primrose and anemone

.

both startled
by the speed limit sign
the blue tit and me
.

blackbird's beak
dripping
spring rain

a lilac tree
in bloom across the street
sweetly scented wallflowers

Small puddle -
Not enough basin
For all the sparrows.

Warm rays of sun
As tears of old winter
Thawing icicle!

first warm day
sleet on the skylight
spring thaw

they're throwing coins
into the fountain once more
the true harbinger
** **

..circa 2010
..Copyright 2010 Spiros Zafiris
..channeled; spirit Harmony
---------------------------------------

my daughter
invites me to lunch
this Mother's day
just for a tender moment
she's her late mother

In my book,
Rustle of bamboo leaves
but originally published in World Haiku Review
Vol. 5, Issue 1, Spring/Summer 2005

green light
the mallard refuses
to yield

.
no more peacocks
the girls bring home the haiku
instead of them

Alan Summers
Swindon Festival of Literature (9th May 2010)
in response to the last time I visited Lower Shaw Farm, Swindon U.K.


the morning star
through the caravan skylight
a peacock’s scream

Alan Summers
*  'The New Haiku' Snapshot Press, 2002,  ISBN 1-903543-03-7
*  First Australian Anthology (October) 1999 http://users.mullum.com.au/jbird/as?.html
*  Tinywords  April 2001
*  Blithe Spirit  (British Haiku Society journal) June 1998
(written Lower Shaw Farm, Swindon 1998 - Brian Tasker workshop)
.

bluebells haze
under the oaks
blackcaps sing

small clouds
scud across the blue expanse
a pair of magpies

After the long winter
Flowers whispering
Seems music

Cherish the silence
In spring flowers bloom
The sun is smiling

two dads
and two baby strollers
Mother’s Day

Sketchbook, Vol. 4, Issue 2
March/April 2009

End of May
People collect from trees
Sap of birch

.
flowering hawthorn
a short romantic walk
under the starlight
.

.

light rain
sharing a Spring evening
with blackbird song

.

blue earth below
green sky above
the bluebell woods

Photo Bluebells in Micheldever Wood by Anguskirk

cherry blossoms -
the window wide open
to the morning sun

***

fleurs de cerisier -
la baie vitrée large ouverte
au soleil de l'aube

a lone starling shouts
'chak chak chak' at the window
grass, wet with rain

mayday - mayday

Oh I might be mistaken
but, an autumn day just went by
May’s delight

May morning -
Ants trample a path
Through the forest

On green lawn
Flickering pansies
Next to dandelions

Window are opened
In a room smells in the spring
From cherries flowers aroma

.

night sky-watch
a motor-cyclist tells me
he's passed the test
.

tilting the balance of light
earth swivels --

summer awaits

chirping happily

they hop from branch to branch

tourists  --in Starbucks

early hour darkness
birds sing their wake up call
covers over my head

awake at dawn
a lone blackbird sings
misting rain

My thoughts on
Wings a flying swallow
Toward new life...

http://gen-springhaiku.blogspot.com/

Honeysuckle scent
Under a summer breeze
Fragrance

http://gen-springhaiku.blogspot.com/

straining toward rest
the garden's ordered chaos
washes over me

sunday
my birth Buddha--
lucky red

old pond
raindrops wrinkle
my face

japanese maple

young leaves made shy

by late frost

back bent to the weeds

on the shed roof

a watching gull

The night is gone.
Time to think and write.
The sunrise songs

Southern wind
A sticky leaves of birches
Smell of spring

In the sky is carried
Seagulls shrill shout-
Heart have compressed

A strong gust of wind
Air snakes fly away
High into sky

between Oak and Ash
bluebells - florescent
in the shadows

go ahead unfurl
on virgin rose petals float
whiffing crowds ignore
** **

..circa 2010
..Copyright 2010 Spiros Zafiris
..partially channeled; spirit Ram
--------------------------

rain patters
washing the dust from leaves
petals fall

at the nursery
next to the gardenias
long deep breaths

beautiful day
"self.... go back inside to work"
......"just five more minutes"

Sunlight diffused by
a dozen shades of green
early poppies

Signs of spring

Signs of spring
Swallows build new nest
Under the eaves

http://gen-springhaiku.blogspot.com/

In my garden

Different scents..
Memories and feelings.
In my garden

http://gen-springhaiku.blogspot.com/

First spring rain

First spring rain
The sun, warmth and beauty,
At the end of the rainbow

http://gen-springhaiku.blogspot.com/

a nightingale calls
through the twilight reaches
of the bluebell woods

a goldfinch
on the telephone wire
tendrils of creeper

on the priory lawns
hail stones and daisies

Disturbs the calm
The wind plays sad tunes
Like an old piano

http://gen-springhaiku.blogspot.com/
_____________________________________________

Flower of a camomile
No matter how hard I blow
Dragonfly flies away

http://gen-springhaiku.blogspot.com/_
_________________________________________

early morning sun
the sound of flying bumblebee
disturbs the calm

http://gen-springhaiku.blogspot.com/
_____________________________________________

afternoond break
rain slicked leaved
dance in the wind

_____________________________________________

river of clouds above --

light as passing memories

.

Bank Holiday
my account is overdrawn
the stretched out clouds
.

Muggy Monday
exiting the office
catching my breath

magnolia blossoms
bare limbs in the breeze
goosebumps

_____________________________________________

on the lawn
investigator boy meets a fellow
investigator worm

birdsong
tumbling from the tree
cherry blossom

raspberry canes
whip the air in the wind
honestly and forget-me-nots

Humming a bumble-bee
Every morning is like on
Sound of violoncello
____________________________________________

Warm spring -
Song between two starlings
Likely about love
____________________________________________

Welcoming spring
The boy runs across a pool
Mother is not pleased_
____________________________________________

Spring wind
Chase from place to place
Last year's leaves
_____________________________________________

nighttime cool
primrose bloom
collecting petals
my pillow breaths sweet

the wind- trapped
in a battle with the big maple,
the rain- still missing

spring rain falling
through derelict windows
nourishing blooms of rust

clouds scud across
white against the grey
cherry petals fall

Together with wind
The first drops of a rain
Symphony of spring
_____________________________________________

Evening in garden
Virgin melody of a violin
Violates silence
_____________________________________________

Green grass in April
Birds begin to sing in trees
Children playing
_____________________________________________

eyelids closed
in the evening sun -
a wings beating

***

paupières closes
au soleil du soir -
un battement d'ailes

war memorial
in the park they mow down
dandelions

blue skies return
dandelions scattered
like tiny suns

morning sun
alder catkins shiver
in the breeze.
_____________________________________________

Sunny day
Catkins on branches of birches
Various colour

_____________________________________________

Beginning May
In a rays of warm days
Snow disappears
_____________________________________________

this slant of light
awakens the grass
I feel new green



the ripe moon hangs low
pulling down the sky