Once Upon a Time
Michael Dylan Welch and Scott Mason, editors. Last part of Fire in the Treetops: Celebrating
Twenty-Five Years of Haiku North America, which collects poems from all
previous HNA anthologies (the following poems are selections from the 2015 section). Press Here, Sammamish, Washington, 2015, 418 pages,
ISBN 978-1-878798-37-4. This section: 94 poets (one poem each). See Press Here for ordering information and links to the introduction and contributor list. The 2015 Haiku North America conference took place 14–18 October 2015, amid autumn colours at Union College in Schenectady, New York. The 2015 anthology collected poems from all previous HNA conference anthologies, encompassing more than one thousand poems, with a new section featuring poems by 2015 attendees. From this new section’s introduction: “Haiku North America celebrates its twenty-fifth year with a focus on haiku in education. Perhaps we who write haiku are always perpetual learners, our eyes always wide with wonder at the world around us, at what we can record and share through haiku poetry. And perhaps every haiku is a way of starting a story . . . once upon a time.” All excuses spent, I tell my wife about my alien abduction. Alan Pizzarelli Bloomfield, New Jersey rooftop restaurant a crow drinks up clouds from an empty table Angelee Deodhar Chandigarh, India anniversary the entomologist buys the roses with aphids Anita Krumins Toronto, Ontario cherry blossoms she tries on her first wedding ring Aubrie Cox Knoxville, Tennessee slow dancing I pretend I remember Bill Kenney Whitestone, New York I think I’ll build a hut right here with these words Bill Porter / Red Pine Port Townsend, Washington f(ailing)s Bruce H. Feingold Berkeley, California going rogue I count my syllables Carlos Colón Shreveport, Louisiana 秋風に浮世の塵を払けり akikaze ni ukiyo no chiri o haraikeri Tagami Kikusha dust of an uncertain world brushed away by the autumn wind Cheryl Crowley, translator Atlanta, Georgia taps . . . all we could say now said Deborah P Kolodji Temple City, California sound of a stream in the wind poplar leaves Hilary Tann Schuylerville, New York tall window of a ruined church— the glory of lichens Ion Codrescu Constanta, Romania rivergum walk magpies warble at morning recess Jennifer Sutherland Viewbank, Australia the vast west railroad cars decouple in the dark Jim Kacian Winchester, Virginia sleepless a summer night dabbling in rain John Stevenson Nassau, New York a nun’s collection of nesting glass hens late-autumn sun Joyce Clement Bristol, Connecticut temple redone Kali’s tongue not so red Kala Ramesh Pune, India Hiroshima Day shakuhachi cracks at every node Kath Abela Wilson Pasadena, California Valentine’s Day park pigeons settle on LO VE Kathe L. Palka Flemington, New Jersey the one I love sitting out back with the feral cats Lee Gurga Lincoln, Illinois polished wood shelf the book collection doubled Leena Luther Albany, New York crunching spring cabbages hippopotamus Makoto Nakanishi Matsuyama, Japan depression each snowflake apparently different Marco Fraticelli Pointe Claire, Québec positive . . . magnolia buds browned by frost Marietta Jane McGregor Canberra, Australia abandoned quarry standing at the bottom an inukshuk Maxianne Berger Outremont, Québec autumn dusk the Van Gogh in the sunflowers Meik Blöttenberger Hanover, Pennsylvania first frost a retelling of the fable Melissa Allen Madison, Wisconsin pumpkin weigh-in . . . the judge’s motion to lift off hands Michael Dylan Welch Sammamish, Washington big shot three olives in his martini Michael Ketchek Rochester, New York trail map you are here and now Michele Root-Bernstein East Lansing, Michigan supermoon— they abandon their selfie sticks Pamela Cooper Montréal, Québec iced tea with lemon an undeclared contest for best grandmother Patrick Gallagher Pacific Grove, California a coyote disappears down the deer track burst milkweed pods paul m. Bristol, Rhode Island mother’s pastry brush— stiff bristles bending more each year Penny Harter Mays Landing, New Jersey morning walk how the gulls have grown to ignore me Peter Newton Winchendon, Massachusetts winter’s bone the smell of sushi Philip Rowland Tokyo, Japan kayak conversation the blue heron hears enough Randy M. Brooks Taylorville, Illinois autumn arrives cool breeze stretches the harbor’s mooring lines Richard Schnell Keeseville, New York at the top of the ferris wheel mary jane Roberta Beary Bethesda, Maryland home early I explain my lay-off to the dog Robert Forsythe Annandale, Virginia shoes off, coat in tray belt removed, pockets emptied I feel so secure Robert Lundy Del Mar, California conch to my ear sonic boom Scott Mason Chappaqua, New York tangled lives— i square the placemat with the table Sondra Byrnes Santa Fe, New Mexico Year of the Sheep— another month wanders off Stanford M. Forrester Windsor, Connecticut late apology— the parted beak of a carved bird Susan Antolin Walnut Creek, California mall Santa— when I sit on his lap he ho ho ho’s Susan Burch Hagerstown, Maryland old poet’s reading each book dedicated to a new woman Terry Ann Carter Victoria, British Columbia once upon a time on grandma’s porch the world Tom Clausen Ithaca, New York morning meditation hummingbird visits the prayer flags Zoanne Schnell Keeseville, New York |