time to retire
that distant place in mind

the faces on innocence
on stage

at my friend's wake house
the dominoes and cards

blue and yellow bottles
complete with water

saluting the guest
with the color of light

the cathedral gone
even the heritage

early morning awakening
the night light

sea gulls yelp
crazed dingos heralding
the rush hour
-----------
------
..(C) 2011 Spiros Zafiris
..mostly channeled; spirit Ram
----------------

old man's garden -
a scarecrow
with a floral dress


***

jardin du vieil homme -
un épouvantail
en robe à fleurs

evening commute
huge orange moon
skims the treetops

winter morning
two butterflies
warm the garden

The Heron’s Nest,Vol.XIII,No.2,June 2011

Haiku..proudly

dandelions
have proudly returned
let's barefoot it
-------------
-----------
..(C) 2011 Spiros Zafiris
..channeled; spirit Ram
----------------

dusk
rising up to start the day
spaghetti breakfast

Haiku..comparison

a warbler
extinguishes the silence
no ahem compares
----------
--------
..(C) 2011 Spiros Zafiris
..channeled; spirit Harmony
----------------

sweeping
its first faded flowers
jasmine's scent

***

balayant
ses premières fleurs fanées
le parfum du jasmin

Haiku..twilight

twilight rustle...
each tree a trombone
as my street sleeps
--------
-----------
..(C) 2011 Spiros Zafiris
..channeled; spirit Ram
------------------

the first cry
of our newborn baby
april blossom

Mainichi Daily News, May 20, 2011

night in the open
consumed with cricket song
we know out of millions
there's a star for us
each and everyone

Haiku Pix Review Vol 2, Spring 2011

dusk rain
washing the heat
out of the day

a dead fish
floating in the pond
yellow lilies

My street is loud with
crashing clashing colors shrieking
"It's spring! It's spring!"

praise to direct report
grows into motivation
for the rest of the shift

convolvulus
climbing above the shrubs
clematis flowers

wild mushrooms
in our deserted garden
wrapped in silence
we know how this coldness
lingers like cataract

jamur-jamur liar
di taman yang telantar
terbungkus sepi
dan kita tahu tentang beku
yang lekat bagai katarak

on the off chance that
the tree frogs are calling me
I warm up my scales

flight of cranes—
bridging the sea
with the sky

Editors’Choice:Second Best Award,Haiku Reality,June,2011

afternoon commute
windshield filled with tiny rainbows
after passing the fountain

in the cool of the day
whacking weeks, trimming hedges
a firefly blinks hello

in the empty
summer garden the trees
ring out the changes

see the definition for 'ring out the changes' here

fourth watch
reaching for the sheet
as the sky lightens

you keep going
in your footsteps
starflowers bloom

* * *

jatkat matkaa
jalanjälkiisi puhkeaa
metsätähtiä

a wood pigeon
and a crow calling out --
dawn chorus duet

gulls
wheel over still water
sunshine reflections

walking toward the car-
unseen honeysuckle
perfumes the night air

mugged by a gang
of sparrows  -  magpie
drops a white feather

netsuke...
the hare with amber eyes
jumps back in again

Publications credits: Mainichi Shimbun (May 2011)

Snapshot Press Haiku Collection eChapbook Competition
http://www.snapshotpress.co.uk

steady heat
a squirrel moves the shadows
of the leaves

holiday weekend-
the block filled with barbecue
and running children

rain drips off leaves
diamonds sparkling in sunlight
worms gathered by blackbirds

dawn chorus
a brace of wood pigeons
in conversation

cherry trees bow
for the prevailing wind
green fruit, discarded

trees shiver
in the sudden wind
doors rattle

rain drips from roofs
a sparrow takes a bath
in a blocked gutter

planning the weekend
scoping out a shady tree
to serve as my muse

counting stars
I move round
the galaxy

Credit: The Mainichi Daily News, May 25, 2011

spring fair  -
swifts
helter-skeltering

Geraniums
raise pink flowers to the clouds
London Pride

scent of narcissi
in the night I hear
your beauty

* * *

narsissien tuoksu
yössä kuulen kuinka
kaunis olet

first light
closing the curtains to sleep
enjoying the birdsong

Tanka..the lament

she journeyed afar
and he lamented--listen to
the willows talk
they're wishing for
rosebuds for his lips
-----------
---------
..(C)1986/2011 Spiros Zafiris
..channeled; spirit Ram
..Note: previously, poem
had a staza break after L3
and "listen to" started L3
..and, possibly,
"rosebuds" ended L4
..and it was entitled: The Lament
----------------------
--------------

scavaging ravens
like torn black rags -
scattered by the wind

sparrows in the hedgerow
teaching their young to forage
wood pigeon's call

late night commutes
silvermound glistens
under the half moon

through clouds
a ray pierces
the poppy's head fills with light

oriental poppy
bursts into flower
lupin, shy

Monday, Monday-
coming in not knowing
it's a 13.5 hour day

the vapor
from the river below
reaches the balcony
where he talks to
his tuberculosis

wind swept -
the trees are beckoning us
into the sky

cherries fall
in the unexpected wind
cornflowers fade

buttercups
on Wimbledon Common
distant bagpipes

above the chaos
a red breasted bird
chirps joyfully

trees whipped
by a stiff north-easterly
dark clouds flung

rainwater streams
each with a crouching boy
building dams


(Cross-posted at But Wait, There's More!)

fledgling sparrows
flitting about the fields
white butterflies

all shift-
scrambling for a minute's peace
between the malfunctions


prepping for shift meeting
count to ten in japanese
to reel it in

lavender buds
poking through undergrowth
a cat, basking

red roses
tethered to an anchor
of thorns

May's morning
more calls less pecks
the woodpecker bird

mid shift break
doing the Times crossword
by moonlight

a barn owl hoots
in an urban landscape
gibbous moon, waning

mid shift break-
the sound of pelting rain
comes through a back door

fronds of monkshood
develop flowerbuds
aubretia tires

dared to burst forth
I race raindrops to welcome
the first peony

on the couch
enjoying the garden
through the window

tadpoles lose their tails
to make their first steps on land
thrushes applaud

you ask me
what rhymes
with orange
rainbow deadhead
knew nothing

.

two sparrows
drive off a magpie
brightly hued eggs

neighborhood ginko
the hawk seems to know
what I need

picking lemongrass
for cooking this morning
the first time
i learn not to confuse
me and my alter ego

first roses
a glossy red clot
nodding in the breeze

Photo Red Rose by cheesy42

on the wet grass
the cat with a dead sparrow
subdued chirping

Monday morning
a mom waves to the school bus
and to the hawk

Join in the global ginko! ;-)

http://area17.blogspot.com/2011/05/join-us-in-global-haiku-walk-for-japan.html
.

afternoon commute
beaver sunning himself
in the neighbor's yard

Welsh poppies
open sunshine yellow heads
garden iris

dandelion clocks
to tell the time of year
doves gleaning seeds

radios
blast from passing cars
roadside poppies

late night commute-
double moon
dances on the pond

azalea snakes
its way through the garden
sheds its skin of light

busy with thoughts I bump into a honeysuckle day

sudden growth
brought on by weekend rain
cornflowers occluded

exactly in between
my nightmare and the rain
a door open

tepat di antara
hujan dan mimpi burukku
pintu terbuka

honesty seeds
are bright green pennies
coins tossed in the pond

spring journey
the soldiers talk about
spotty teenagers
.

blue cornflowers
dancing with tutus for the sun
morning rain, drying

14 hour shift
walking outside
to view the day

ladybird
on a stinging nettle leaf
- lotus position


***

une coccinelle
sur une feuille d'ortie
- position du lotus

wood pigeon
calls out the dawn chorus
crow's raucous shout

late night commute-
deer freezes in my headlights
its mate on the curb

morning breeze lifts
white sheets on the line --
gnarled fingers clutching clothes pins

morning rains
freshen the leaves of perennials
ripples on the pond

too tired to sleep-
enjoying the early birsong

lilac twists
in a sudden breeze
sparrow flight falters

new spring outfit
pollen filigree
draping the car

around the dead tree -
a pool of blue bells

sweet peas
scramble upwards
clematis

SFH Day 2
planning tomorrow's gardening
for mental diversion

lightning strikes
i hold my breath for
the afterimage

petir menyambar
aku menahan nafas
silau sesaat

Table manners

I was probably the clumsiest among others in my family at holding the spoon and fork. Unlike Mom, Dad, my sisters and brothers, I held the cutlery like holding a knife, instead of the way I took a grip on a pen. We didn't use a knife to savour a dish.

"Use your bare hands," my Mom said almost each and every evening when we had dinner with the whole family. "Wash them first before you start," my Mom added and moved a ceramic bowl of water towards me for hand washing.

family dinner
chinese dancer dances
in my bowl


Adab di meja makan

Dibanding anak-anak lainnya dalam keluarga kami, mungkin aku yang paling canggung menggunakan sendok dan garpu. Selalu saja aku memegang sepasang alat itu dengan cara yang aneh. Aku memegang sendok dan garpu seperti aku memegang pisau, bukan pena. Padahal, kami tak pernah menggunakan pisau untuk makan.

“Gunakan saja kedua tanganmu, tapi jangan lupa cuci dulu,” kata ibu.

makan malam
penari china menari
di kobokanku

cornflowers
a spot of blue in the green
speedwell

SFH
enjoying the moonlight
walking to the car

a paper kite
colors gargantuan clouds
lonely pilgrim
places where our stories
written and remain untold

layangan kertas
mewarna awan gargantuan
ziarah sendiri
muasal kisah kita yang
ditulis tak dituturkan

honeysuckle
coats a long-dead apple tree
ivy and nightshade

guardians
of the still pond -
mallard and mandarin

Photo Mandarin Duck by paulafunnell

May Day
a blackbird skirts the choice
of blossoms

May Writing Challenge, NaHaiWriMo FB 

strawberry flowers
points of white on green
aphids

this Easter - azaleas
sun drenched – there are
a million ways to love

Details of an Arts Weekend in New Malden, Greater London, Surrey

Saturday, April 30, 2011

spring, garden awakes
black earth tumbles and tumbles
robins are happy

the Rowan trees
display clusters of flowers
blackbirds seek grass seeds

forgotten glasses
on the table of the garden -
pollen dust

***

lunettes oubliées
sur la table du jardin -
poussière de pollen

coolness-
lettuce leaves curl slightly inward
under the moonlight

Walpurgis Night

This night
we will fight
a true battle of might
against all evil – a need-fire
we light

last quarter
I save up for a chin of gold
and a new moon


4am moonrise
your chin of gold, and me
tucked in bed

moonrise
I shine your chin of gold
and dimities of blue


backscattered
from the lunar surface
the universe my shoe


4 x Moon haiku inspired by Emily Dickinson for the last day of NaPoWriMo

.

late night commute
two deer romp
in a construction zone

spring

at Master's feet
first steps
home

spring

first fruits
warm sunshine
on them

hornbeams and maples
Milton echoes all around
Westminster Abbey

Royal Wedding April 29^th 2011

Prince William & Kate Middleton 

Royal Wedding video feeds:

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/uk/royal-wedding-live-video-prince-william-and-kate-middleton-married-15147685.html

Trees in Westminster Abbey:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/royal-wedding/royal-wedding-video/8482766/Royal-wedding-video-Royal-wedding-first-look-inside-Westminster-Abbey.html

Westminster Abbey:

http://www.westminster-abbey.org/our-history/the-architecture-of-westminster-abbey

20ft-high English field maples, six in total, along with two hornbeams.

.

The hornbeam is known for being extremely hard and is said to symbolise resilience. The English field maple is said represent humility and reserve. It is the favoured wood used for harp making and it is also used to create medieval loving cups.

John Milton, possibly the world’s most accomplished poet:

http://www.westminster-abbey.org/our-history/people/john-milton

spring dawn
in my pajamas watching
the royal wedding

grey clouds gather
to watch the Royal Wedding
silent streets

weeping bamboos
i start showing my children
how to haiku

rintihan bambu
nak, lihat bagaimana
haiku ditulis

don't trust the cat
her eyes green the earth
with anti-matter
.

Part of Alan's gendai haiku challenge for NaPoWriMo

from one sustained gust
I walk a petal-strewn path
your life torn from me

another soggy day
flats full of flowers
wait to be planted

daisies
on the front lawn
next door's black cat

family rite of spring-
reminding the siblings
"two weeks to mother's day"...

azaleas still
unfolding the colour of
turmeric and saffron

Photo Azaleas Richmond Park by Sibisson

field of dreams
an unborn child's colour
isn't rapeseed

gendai haiku challenge for NaPoWriMo

potted tulips
wilted from the heat
the winds shepherds clouds

blue cornflowers
hold their heads to the sun
ants and bees

today I glimpsed
the dandelion's ghost
before it disappeared

May blossom
in the cemetery
white lilac

the little bee
gathering each daisy -
I'll mow tomorrow


***

la petite abeille
de pâquerette en pâquerette -
je tondrai demain

starlight and memory

the wink of a one-eyed dog
as it sneezes

.

cornflowers
waiting for the sunshine
clouds promise rain

Dreams of traveling
often ends staying home
my love is set on Crete

rotating shifts-
internal clock reset
by early birdsong

pink bluebells
bloom on a roadside verge
white lilac

Enjoying tree blossom
eagerly awaiting
the plum tree fruit

Reflecting
why not blossom?
even on a rainy day

azaleas –
God's toy of colour
plays with red

azaleas
a rainbow laid flat
upon the earth

cowslips
in the meadow
a sea of dandelions

sunny day
taking the long way
to the car

Tired Of Life

I grow tired of it
the living of day to day
I hear the mourning dove

so sad so alone
he searches for a true love
and yet can find none

along the riverside
Lenten robes
of purple lilac

motorbike roar
stretching out into the night
birdsong in the dark

in the rain
creeping closer
spring, you

* * *

sateessa
lähelle hiipivä
kevät, sinä

Hitler's birthday
a withered daffodil
stares at the sun

aquilegia flowers
raise purple petals skyward
delicate rosemary

hope springs eternal
the mechanics one day
will ask for help

Why do
we live from day
to day in endless quest
for wealth, while we forget to tend
our soul?

In my book, Rustle of bamboo leaves

tulip petals fall
a delicate blush
of spirea

Awakening moon
pregnant with the new month
foxes on the street

azaleas cloaked
in fleeting summer robes -
maroon and indigo

blackbirds
nesting in the hedge
next door's dog, barking

amongst the daisies
tiny flecks of speedwell
reflect the sky

loew's garden section
red throated bird
chirps in the rafters

Building A Temple of Colour

April at
the still pond - each day
slowly
asaleas are building
their temple of colour

Photograph Isabella Plantation by Fred Dawson

cherry blossoms
the Vietnam Wall remembers
their names

morning commute
open cherry blossoms
outside the plant door

honesty
bedecked in white and purple
petrol-winged starlings

willows sprout fresh ribbons --
young girls on a lark

azalea sleeps
in its bed of green -
wakes to magenta

Photo Magenta Azalea by Olaf

grey doves on rooftops
melt into overhead clouds
cherry blossom snow

morning walk
rain slicked hyacinths
dance in the breeze

green azaleas
ghosts in grey morning mist
emerging scarlet
magenta and crimson
in the growing light

pear tree
covered in white blossom
apple branches

rainy night
screech of tires and high beams
bid me to stop now

Written in my heart—
a frog beneath the thin snow
waiting for spring thaw.

a sparrow
on the dead branch of a bay tree
culinary displeasure

morning drive
fog billowing on the river
two geese emerge

purple azaleas
unfolding - a thousand
butterfly wings

purple honesty
self-seeded in a kitchen pot
matching aubretia

sunshine through new leaves
a row of tulips in the undergrowth
red helmeted soldiers

old apple tree -
the sound of a saw fills
the empty space


***

vieux pommier -
le bruit d'une scie emplit
l'espace vide

the pear tree
is covered in blossom
no sign of bees

Something Light

these pyjamas
are more summery
shut the window
------------
----------
..Copyright 2011 Spiros Zafiris
..channeled; spirit Ram
-------------------

spring harbingers
two birds cavort
in my front lawn

Cherry blossom,
too much beauty... for a heart--
to bear alone

suddenly
forsythia covered bushes
fill the world

the azalea flower
the way it carries the burden
of a bumble bee

on warm winds
the smell of green --
earthworm carves a trail

white Honesty
blossoms in the circle
blue Lungwort blooms

mall run
throughout the parking lot
the scent of fresh manure

a cherry tree
through the gap in the curtains
an urban fox

camellia blossoming  -
a hundred throats
singing

cherry petals
become a cloud of pink snow
compost worms dance

morning ginko
first daffodils lift their heads
and enjoy spring

magnolia petals
scattered in the garden
like happiness

yellow tulips
reflect the morning sun
plum blossom

one hundred
thundering bullfrogs
rock the pond

pollen covers
the pictures in my camera
spring in Georgia

April wind -
on the edge of the path
dandelions dance

***

brise d'avril -
sur le bord du chemin
les pissenlits dansent

white flowers
on the new plum sapling
wormwood's plumes

a cold wind
dries off the night's rain
angry-faced pansies

a test to see if there are line breaks

chore filled morning-
nothing done was on the list
break to watch spring snow

. 
Poisson d’Avril
I gain the pirate's flag
on my blog counter

Part of NaPoWriMo
http://area17.blogspot.com
.

deer's look
my eyes behind
the camera

rain patters
on the roof of the bike shed
the smell of wet dogs

morning commute
watching the sun
rise over the dashboard

the sun
between dark clouds
pigeons roosting

hard shift's end
waiting to have blood drawn
then a Starbucks run

a cool breeze brings
overnight misting rain
thrushes gather worms

back in the plant-
doing end of shift reports
while the sun rises

three koi
twirling
in endless circles

pollarded trees
grasp at the lowered clouds
chaffinch song

river waters
running high --
crescent moon caught

we dance
down daffodil lane
once more

cherry blossom
bright against fresh bronze leaves
sparrows dance

Summer Time -
where did I put the booklet
of the sundial ?


***

heure d'été -
où ai-je rangé la notice
du cadran solaire ?

cooler weather
brings the return of coats
muffled walkers

plum blossoms
making me drunk—
give me more!

sullen sky
over a flowering viburnum
forsythia fades

Tanka..similarly

days into spring,
lumps of snow still remain--
here and there
I gaze out the window
my lovers, all, slowly faded too
----------
--------------
..(C)2011 Spiros Zafiris
..channeled; spirit Harmony;
reaching into the poet's heart
-------------------------

a red tulip
is joined by several yellow ones
daffodils fade

morning ginko
daffodils begin to bud
above the spring snow

old cola can
a splash of red in the garden
tulips

riverside forsythia:
lighting
underwater caverns

spring sunshine
on the old stones of Arbor Low
cloud shadows

the moon, bright
through a gap in the curtains
cats fighting

weekend treats-
first of this year's garden goodies
new found Asian market

early sunlight
streams through the window
the cat wants breakfast

Spring...
mediocrity fini--life,
parading women
----------
--------------
..Copyright 2011 Spiros Zafiris
---------------------

a breeze
fresh like the blossom
then stillness

white clouds
of cherry blossoms
of smoke

* * *

pilvinä
kirsikankukkia
savua

witnessing
the earthquake ravaged country
sad spring moon
tinged  the colour of sorrow
faded cherry blossom

fragrance
fills the gap
between the flowers


The Heron’s Nest,Vol.XIII,No.1,March 2011

gardens on the edge
of the railroad -
forsythias in bloom


***

jardins en bordure
de la voie ferrée -
les forsythias en fleur

weeping blossoms
the uprooted tree adrift
after the tsunami

morning chores
first plant run of the season
the smell of manure

melting snow
the old pine gingerly
limbers up

lively ants

on her kitchen table

and in the sink

a sparrow
pecks at the aubretia
aphids already?

heart chakra
today I feel the need
to water magnolias

.

damp clings
to the shrubs and trees
muted songs

apricot blossom
maybe this year
is the one

mist becomes rain
catkins on the alder trees
turn brown

shrouded in mist
pollarded trees grasp the sky
eyelashes, heavy with rain

stretching over
the raging waters
a branch of bright cherry buds

(for Japan's sadness)

the sun reflects
from a garden full of frost
iced primulas

dawn chorus
I lie awake in the dark
listening

solar lights
sparkle in the night garden
morning frost

a future waterfall
bursts dancing pinheads
into new angel DNA

gendai verse

A possible 1000 people have lost lives.  This is truly horrible, and thankfully due to Government preparations over the years, it could have easily been ten times that number.

My thoughts go out to everyone in Japan, including my haikai literature colleagues.

japan tsunami
short question in my prayer
god, falling asleep?

*Deepest sympathy for the victims of Japan tsunami

shop-bought violets
lift up their angry faces
compost heap thrushes

smooth cherry bark
studded by nodules of fresh leaves
sparrows in sunshine

deep droning
from the motorway
a lark sings

afternoon rhapsody
perpetual cry of
cicadas

rapsodi siang
garengpung di dahan turi
terus berdengung

little sparrow
I regret nothing today
flowers in the wind

A homage to La Môme Piaf  

. 

the bones of trees
shaking in the gusting wind
sparrows bowled along

water water every where

water water every where

black cat
turns to look -
yellow of daffodils

i've learned about
the meaning of being alone
if only you're here
you'd know my new friends
a tremor and a poetry book

sudah kupelajari
arti hidup menyendiri
jika kau ada
kenalilah teman-teman baruku
tremor dan buku puisi

hard spikes of grass
whitened by morning frost
sparrows on the roof

daffodil spikes
show their first yellow slivers
currants flush pink

let it snow
isn't it almost spring
hand me a flake
----------
-------------
..Copyright 2011 Spiros Zafiris
..channeled; spirit Ram
---------

sparrows cheep
in the hour before dawn
dogs snore

Tanka..rootlike

the promise of spring
forgives the divine plan, to chart
fallen leaves
and igloo weather
our lips bubble, rootlike
---------------------
-------------------
..Copyright 2011 Spiros Zafiris
..channeled; spirit Harmony
-------------------------

blackbird hen
on the bird table
sparrows glower

no sunshine
penetrates the stratus
seagulls on the playground

sweet smoke

labial folds of tulip leaves
among last year's withered browns
variegated arum

soaking up
after the monsoon rains
--scent of frangipani

perfumed air
melts the heart
that aches

green fuzz
blankets the willow withies
morning mist

spring -
blackbirds
trembling

yellow blossom tree
eyes full of sleep
and wonder

stark black butterfly
 sucks the pluot's white blossoms
Death attends the dance

Feral daffodils
 defy the landscaper's plan
 botany snubs art