First Snow
The following photo-haiga feature poems that I originally collected in “First Snow” (also available as a trifold) in November of 2013 when I was keynote speaker for that year’s Haiku International Association annual convention in Tokyo. Thank you to Emiko Miyashita for the Japanese translations. All photos are courtesy of PictureQuotes.com.
first snow . . .
the children’s hangers
clatter in the closet
toll booth lit for Christmas—
from my hand to hers
warm change
first star—
a seashell held
to my baby’s ear
an old woolen sweater
taken yarn by yarn
from the snowbank
tulip festival—
the colours of all the cars
in the parking lot
spring breeze—
the pull of her hand
as we near the pet store
scattered petals . . .
the thud of my books
in the book drop
summer moonlight
the potter’s wheel
slows
crackling beach fire—
we hum in place of words
we can’t recall
meteor shower . . .
a gentle wave
wets our sandals
after the quake
the weathervane
pointing to earth
home for Christmas:
my childhood desk drawer
empty