having so much
needing so little
I watch clouds drift by

the deafening drumbeat
war between sky and earth …
rain on my tin roof

manna from Heaven
a few more years
to watch my children grow

clear mountain water
liquid ice on my feet
numbing the day's journey

to the temple door
vermillion pillars
bring good fortune

a drop of colour
opens in a sea of green...
a lone crocus blooms.

poised in the shadows
a deadly assassin lurks...
my cat stalks its prey

a scarlet moon
peers over the horizon...
bushfires in the hills

beneath the bridge
ripples spread outwards...
no more worries

red sands and sunsets
trees on the far horizon;
an ancient land sleeps

a friend who is lost,
will he find the hidden path
to where he needs to be?

gentle breezes move
in a complicated dance
throwing back my hair.

the Universe spins
on the point of a pin,
we search vainly for meaning

life and art
art and life,
two sides of a mirror

old men
idly chatting,
life passes by

blue skies
warm sunshine,
a lizard basks

generations of
my ancestors gather ...
as dust at my feet

white snowflakes falling
in Winter's crisp night air...
the sound of silence

first haiku of "Sakura"
Tanuki's 11 year old daughter

each day passes
like the one before it ...
and the one to come

mocking my thirst ... an empty cup
mocking my love ... an empty heart

pussywillow sways
to the gentle whisper
of a summer breeze

softly the tears fall
into an open grave,
another pet rests

the blue sky holds no rain ... again

winter storm ...
young branches
learn to fly

cut flowers
wither...die
beauty passes

ducks serenely move
among the lotus flowers ...
ships on a tranquil sea

a curious mouse
follows the scent of cheese
snap!

insects submerge
into a rippling sea
of summer ripened wheat

winter sun rises
to blanket the frigid sea
with golden warmth

cats wail in the night
fighting or fornicating ...
sounds the same to me

silver flashes dart
through sunlit azure water ..
stalked by grim menace

lying quietly
soft breathing in the darkness ..
sleeping innocence

deepening grey skies
send cranes to seek shelter
on the far horizon