Sitting in the Sun
Michael Dylan Welch and Crystal Simone Smith, editors. Kate MacQueen, artwork.
Press Here, Sammamish, Washington, 2019, 64 pages, 94 poets (one poem each),
ISBN 978-1-878798-40-4. Sitting in the Sun collects haiku and senryu by 94 attendees of the 2019 Haiku North America conference, held 7–11 August 2019 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Edited by Michael Dylan Welch and Crystal Simone Smith, with North Carolina–themed artwork by Kate MacQueen, this anthology showcases many of North America’s leading poets, plus an upcoming generation. As the introduction says (adapted here), “Sitting in the Sun celebrates the fifteenth biennial Haiku North America conference. These conferences provide an array of academic research and inspired readings and presentations, but they’re also a kind of ‘sitting on the porch a spell,’ a gathering of friends to enjoy the day, to talk about a favorite poetic subject, and to ponder—or avoid—the ups and downs that life has to offer. In the very first Haiku North America anthology in 1991, the collection’s poems were arranged by each poet’s first name, and we’ve been doing that ever since. It’s a sort of front-porch familiarity that we continue to value—and seek to promote. So please sit a spell with these poems and poets.” You can read the entire introduction, see the contributor list, and order the book on Amazon. Here are 40 sample poems from the anthology. late spring the emptiness inside a cracked blue egg Agnes Eva Savich Austin, Texas tending gumbo the blend of our voices Bill Cooper Naples, Florida New Year’s Day a toddler’s shovelful of snow Brad Bennett Arlington, Massachusetts yellowjacket in the bottle’s throat summers end Brent Goodman Rhinelander, Wisconsin slow-falling snow the steady hand of the beggar Bryan Rickert Belleville, Illinois Sandia mountain there’s no word in Tiwa for “whale” Charles Trumbull Santa Fe, New Mexico making tamales the flow of family stories Claire Vogel Camargo Austin, Texas bedtime wind and streetlight play tag in our tree Craig Kittner Wilmington, North Carolina progressive church in the collection plate a lottery ticket Crystal Simone Smith Durham, North Carolina church bells at dusk—I swing at the last pitch Dave Russo Cary, North Carolina the White House whiter than ever November chill David G. Lanoue New Orleans, Louisiana winding up the pitcher launches summer thunder Erin Castaldi Mays Landing, New Jersey The dog’s gray muzzle rests in my hands still holding the ball Garry Gay Windsor, California early daffodils deep in an unkempt forest— her curls upon curls Gideon Young Chapel Hill, North Carolina full moon tango on water Jen Murdock Charlotte, North Carolina safe house in the back yard a sleeping doe Jennifer Hambrick Worthington, Ohio snow-dome quietly steadily I too settle Jill Lange Cleveland Heights, Ohio taut tent the tympani of rain Jim Kacian Winchester, Virginia Superbowl party I make new friends with the dog Joshua Gage Cleveland, Ohio one fortune cookie for the two of us to share crescent moon Julie Warther Dover, Ohio a hawk takes off after a while I touch down Kala Ramesh Pune, India Durban bus stop I stoop to fill my hands with frangipani Kate MacQueen Chapel Hill, North Carolina first snow a teacher joins her class at the window Kathe L. Palka Flemington, New Jersey night breeze I listen to jazz in my car Lenard D. Moore Raleigh, North Carolina molting swallow she tells me about her rapist Lori A. Minor Madison Heights, Michigan ants crawl across our unfolded map— highway rest stop L. Teresa Church Durham, North Carolina the weight of a paper crane first snow Makoto Nakanishi Matsuyama, Japan dark night playing the harp by touch power outage Marcyn Del Clements Claremont, California end of the year— the swing’s muddy underside reflected in a puddle + Michael Dylan Welch Sammamish, Washington deep autumn her left side sagging I visit the right side Patricia J. Machmiller San Jose, California shop owner dishes out gelato and gossip Robert Moyer Winston-Salem, North Carolina fading photo a moment of our youth sitting in the sun Robin Palley Philadelphia, Pennsylvania over the wall without papers migrating geese Sarah E. Metzler Marion Center, Pennsylvania a new lift to the door— Grandma, cherry blossoms are waiting! Shinko Fushimi Mito, Japan home from the mammogram fresh squeezed orange juice Shirley Brooks Taylorville, Illinois new diagnosis learning to live with the way she says it Susan Antolin Walnut Creek, California rainy day— I can’t see the bright side of anything Susan Burch Hagerstown, Maryland cloud shapes . . . my sister and her wife discuss baby names Tanya McDonald Woodinville, Washington wishing she wasn’t cremated Mother’s Day Tia Haynes Lakewood, Ohio family graves all tombstones except grandpa’s lean to the right Valerie Fern Carmel Valley, California |