In Memory of William J. Higginson
The following poems by poet, scholar, and translator William J. Higginson are a selection of thousands of contributions that appeared in numerous books and journals over forty years. Bill was one of the charter members of the Haiku Society of America (formed in 1968). He was also honorary curator of the American Haiku Archives (2003–2004) and received many other awards during his lifetime. His chief books were The Haiku Handbook (1985), still the seminal book for anyone wishing to learn haiku poetry in English, and the companion books Haiku Seasons and Haiku World (both 1996), the definitive books in English on the concept of season words in haiku, a subject that was very important to Bill. He will be remembered not only for these and other books and his many essays and reviews in haiku periodicals over many decades, but also for his personal leadership and mentoring in the worldwide haiku community. Underlying all his many accomplishments in service of haiku and in service of others were his own poems. I offer these selections in the spirit of recognizing the multifaceted talents of my inspirational haiku friend and personal mentor, Bill Higginson. See also “This Perfect Rose: The Lasting Legacy of William J. Higginson” and the “Honoring William J. Higginson” section of “The Democracy of Haiku,” my introduction to Fire in the Treetops: Celebrating Twenty-Five Years of Haiku North America, which is dedicated to Bill. +
A wet night
garbage cans all full
but the far one 1969
The clock
chimes chimes and stops
but the river . . . 1969
Holding the water
held by it—
the dark mud. 1970
caterpillar
atop the rock
the rising tide 1971
evening star
almost within
the moon’s half curve 1971
this spring rain
the thief too
curses his job 1972
grey dawn
ice on the seats
of the rowboat 1982
the tick, tick
of snow on the reeds . . .
sparrow tracks 1989
New Year’s Eve . . .
thieves have left my car open
in the falling snow 1994
commercial break—
the cat and I
head for the kitchen 1999
the fence post
hangs upright in the washout—
mid-summer heat 1999
going over a bump
the car ahead
going over a bump 1999
the old cat
hesitates on the doorsill—
a falling leaf 2001
summer storm . . .
a shopping cart rolls past
the end of the lot 2002
winter twilight
only a few old bakers
in the potato bin 2004
crescent moon
would I look at the clouds
without it? 2004
Books and Writing
I look up
from writing
to daylight. 1970
writing again
the tea water
boiled dry 1986
reading renku—
every stanza links with
the midwinter cricket 1991
thankful for
the books just received . . .
snow piling up 1997
musty smell
forgotten . . . deep
into the text 1997
spring rain
rereading my own book
I fall asleep 2005
Aging
Christmas concert
I sit in the seat of my
hospitalized friend 1993
misty rain—
dry pavement under
the ambulance 2004
fireworks crashing
and fireflies so silent . . .
tomorrow the biopsy 2005
one maple leaf . . .
end over end on the sand
without a trace 2004