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Patricia Donegan
from Haiku Studio

Last night lightning
this morning
the white iris.

Long walk—
cherry petals stick
to the bottoms of my shoes.

Plum rain—
the young prostitute
washes her underwear

As rain drops diminish
I hear the tapping
of the monk's wooden bell.

Winter afternoon
not one branch moves—
I listen to my bones.

I lay down
all the heavy packages—
autumn moon.

People are gone
& the beach is empty—
the green reeds.

Tonight
the cypress tree & I
lean into the wind.

spring wind—
I too
am dust

Patricia Donegan is author of 'Heralding the Milk Light, Without Warning' ( forward by Allen Ginsberg ) and 'Hot Haiku'. In 1986-87 she studied with haiku master Yamaguchi Seishi. She completed a Fulbright grant in Japan and co-authored 'Chiyoni - Woman Haiku Master' with Ishibashi Yoshie. She is a member of the Haiku Society of America and the Association for International Renku. She currently teaches creative writing at Keio University in Tokyo, and is a contributing editor for Kyoto Journal.