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Paul David Mena's Haiku

 

haiku posted to Shiki Internet Salon
http://www.ziplink.net/~mena/mn_netku.txt


staring at my coffee cup
daydreaming of cold dark beer


cat
stalking
invisible
mouse


blinded by sunlight
I miss the comfort
of thunderclouds


I stayed up all night
trying to dream about you


after the storm
digital clock
blinks midnight


gust of autumn
the only visitor
in my empty room


your hurried kiss
another meteor...


my son's first baseball glove
somewhere under the snow


in garbled voice-mail
my three year-old
aches for his daddy


obscured by mist
your face
across the ocean


the locusts bow in silence
as the train slowly passes


another reminder
that autumn is here:
frost on my windshield


the rhythm of
graffitti thunder -
passing freight train


in a swirl of color
and too much sangria
the room is dancing


retreating
from my headlights
army of frogs


three moves to check mate:
fireplace reflection
dancing in your eyes


etched into my face
deep valleys
of sorrow


shattering
the reflected moon
frog's lonely swim


chimney smoke
caressing
the amber sky


the red vinyl booths
worn, cracked, cigarette-scarred
tonight my pillow


five beers later
his wife's glare
burnt coffee


rescued from a stack of bills
missing renga link


driving through the fog
my grandmother
forgets my name


poor butterfly!
a frog has just eaten
the perfect photograph


violent thunderstorm -
the computer room, however,
is silent


under his pillow
wrinkled postcard reads:
"Daddy please come home"


under a crescent moon
farmer and ox
threshing wheat


sad little girl
ignoring the sunset


evening retreats
behind the horizon -
the gathering frost


fat old cat
ignoring the mouse


mouse turds in my kitchen:
at least I know
I am not alone

no longer a kitten
the ball of yarn
no longer a toy


his life spared
the grateful fly
drowns in my Coke


too shy to dance
he watches her
fall in love


my morning coffee
growing cold
in rush hour traffic


autumn sunset
the coffee
finally kicks in


palm trees
swaying in the snow
on my television


first snow fall -
streets lined
with fender-benders


hand-in-hand
under the moonlight
our snow angels


long after
the snow has stopped
bare trees shivering


few days later
the enchantment is gone -
dirty snow


between glances
fox footprints
in the snow


paid in full
for his poetry
with her smile


incoming plane -
kildeer concedes
its nesting rights


waving from the terminal
long after your plane has gone


delayed at the gate
a flock of seagulls takes off
right on time


migrating geese
also remind me
that you are gone


after showering
your "I love you" reappears
on the mirror


through the bathroom fog
a heart etched on the mirror


St. Paul skyline:
ice castles
of electric night


decorating
the dormant smokestack:
a Christmas tree


winter fog:
two blankets
and I still shiver


snow is falling
in a provocative dance -
this coffee is too weak


bungled forecast:
six inches of "partly cloudy"
in my driveway


the street lamp
caresses the falling snow:
butterflies descending


huddled by the fire
the snow outside melted
by glowing embers


long distance to my father
competing with the Weather Channel


the storm over
I clutch my blanket tightly
and dream of you


the snow has ended
and with it
my fountain of words


another plane takes off -
I wonder if she is still
waving goodbye


winter dusk:
the horizon's amber glow
fades to violet


the fog retreats
her gown trailing
in the snow


New Year's Eve
my eyes avoiding
every clock


shoulders of diamond:
broken glass
along the highway


penetrating
the Christmas fog
gifts from my children


Clifton Park:
a suburb completely safe
from inspiration


winter rain
erasing the promise
of Christmas snow


through the winter rain
another pair of headlights
that isn't yours


winter evening
snow merges with sky
in a continuum of grey


poised to attack
her green eyes incinerate
the new cat


Valentine's Day:
two interlocking hearts
drawn in the fresh snow


beyond the locked door
an ambush awaits -
a dozen white roses


one day later
rose petals
on the floor


midnight moon:
the eye of the dragon
is watching me


an unwelcome guest
peers into my window -
bright morning sun


from my sickbed
the same number of ceiling tiles
as yesterday


my red wool scarf
is all that's left
of the mighty snowman


in the street
impromptu rivers
of melted snow


through the hot tea mist
your smiling eyes


on this warm March day
the trees are crying
for their leaves


like the bare branches
my bones tremble
in the March wind


softly muting
my dreams of Spring
April snow


along the graveyard fence
a little girl picks daisies


warm spring day
a trash can filled
with Christmas cards


masked by tree branches
the streetlight
can only flicker...


warm and content
my cats sleep
unaware of my tears


so many things to do today -
snow falling from a tree branch


rainy day
I ignore the telephone
you smile...


beyond this fog of light
are countless stars
I cannot see


right on time
she buys her morning coffee
and ignores my smile


first day of spring -
still dreaming
of apple blossoms


in the hallway
the laces of our shoes
intertwined


through the fingerprints
on my window -
cloudless blue sky


unable to escape
the subway station
of my dreams


sitting by the window
the breeze shifts direction
from pizza to chow mein


I am the mirror
in which you cannot smile -
your loving father


distant church bells
punish
my Sunday hangover


at the pawn shop
a tarnished wedding band
priced for quick sale


on your doorstep
with the usual punctuality:
your consolation prize


staring at an empty wine glass
filling mine yet again


your thoughtful gift
burning in the fire


reflected
in your pupils
I seem so small


on the mantlepiece
my son's crayon self-portrait
crying for Daddy


passing her classmates
she hides
her perfect paper


in the window
a cat stalks
its reflection


thunderclap!
I suddenly remember
where I left my umbrella


after the storm
a shroud
of dogwood blossoms


a well-hit softball
shatters
my Sunday nap


incense of burning leaves
fills the pastel sky


amidst the debris
a trembling man
clutches a tiny jacket


channel surfing
between
test patterns


window shopping
I stare at myself
on video


after the storm
the locusts' song
replaced by sirens


lying in bed
after too much TV
afraid to dream


wind-swept leaves:
when my eyes are closed,
an ocean wave


not knowing how
I will pay this month's rent
my cat sleeps


late with my rent
I ignore
the spider web


my pet firefly
motionless in his jar
a starless sky


hazy night
the full moon
is hot and tired


an old friend
knocking at my door
distant thunder


passing the cemetary
a sudden urge
to buy flowers


at the flower shop
the irises, your eyes
in and out of focus


emerging from its nest
with a mighty roar
the construction crane


when I am in love
I am afraid
to count flower petals


sparrows
erupt from the trees
the sound of thunder


distant thunder
two lovers
kissing goodbye


staring
at a sheet of paper -
a night without words


reading Kafka
I pause
to kill a fly


rough day at work -
I rescue a fly
from a spider web


the evening conceals
an absence of wind


almost time to leave
my son clings to me
cold spring rain


seeing my scowl
the woodpecker
feigns innocence


approaching the mountain
the airplane's shadow
rises


pen in hand
I watch the river below
sign its name in rock


mockingbird sings
to the rythym
of the freeway


sleepless night
the wind in the palms
another passing train


Venice Beach
body builders
can't stop the rain


emerging
from the sand dunes
another jet


do these minnows know
the tidal pool
is receding?


trying to decipher
the hidden message
in the sea gull tracks


Ventura Freeway
racing against
Suburbia


night after night
her silhouette
practising kata


approaching thunder
the crows
are no longer laughing


hot summer night
the lark and the nightingale
sing in harmony


more bitter than this coffee
the indigo sky


perched on my balcony
I mimick
the mockingbird


an old monk
changes a light bulb
by candlelight


overcast night
the only stars
are fireflies


the ambulance is gone
as is the need
to meet the neighbors


more tragic
than the loss itself
your tiny voice asking why


the full moon's
reluctant companion:
a lonely seagull


unawakened
by my tears
on your face


drinking this coffee
instead of throwing it out
I know I am single


dreaming
she mutters
that she's still awake


somewhere in the clouds
I am searching
for these words


outdoor concert:
a lonely pigeon
answers the oboe


my tulips
against her cheek
kissing...


after the storm
each droplet on my window
a rainbow


gazing into
an open field
daydreaming of trains


passing train
overtaken
by the tea kettle


more fleeting than your kiss -
this shadow
on the moon


slow dance
of the setting moon:
another sleepless night


the shadows return -
locusts fall asleep
one by one


awakened by
the lilac breeze

------------------------------

 

another warm day
the lingering taste
of her lipstick


spring thaw
loosening the top button
of her blouse


temperature rising
the sundress gently slips
from her shoulder


averting my gaze
from her deep blue eyes
the sudden chill


approaching storm
she sees me glancing
at her legs


my favorite perfume
the wind
in her hair


first date
between awkward pauses
he imagines her naked


clinging
to her sundress
the wind


kissing
on the merry-go-round
the city blurs


spring cleaning --
an ex-girlfriend's letters
in the recycle bin


pinned
to her tattered sundress
a wild iris


wild ride on wall street
my favorite pot hole
remains unfilled


South Station twilight
waiting
for the next train


Bryant Park bench
surrounded by daffodils
an old man sleeps


telling my children
our cat is gone
a gull crosses the sun


moments before sunrise
the cat moves
from my side of the bed
to yours


mist turns to rain
our cat's last day


the food dish untouched
I swear I heard
his footsteps last night


the food dish untouched
I swear I heard
his footsteps last night


restless night
the cat keeps chasing you
from my dreams


late afternoon
following a shaft of sunlight
between skyscrapers


blues festival --
a dragonfly dances
above the treetops


South Station --
a pigeon inspects
an unattended bag


scattering pigeons --
a homeless man
flirts with schoolgirls


fog
skyscraper
meets sky


skyscraper
her silhouette
in the fog


wild daisy
the tattoo
on her bare belly


empty canvas
an art student
boards a subway car


overcast sky
my daughter leaves
for a faraway place


cold snap --
a spider fights me
for the first log


flying home to Boston
a baseball diamond
shines through the clouds


killing frost --
the tomatoes
at half-mast

 

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