Haiku & Selected Poems Volume III

 

 

 

Haiku

&

Selected Poems

Volume III

 

by Richard Kay

Copyright

 

Haiku & Selected Poems Volume 3

Copyright Richard Kay 2016

Shakespir Edition

 

Richard Kay asserts his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1998 to be identified as the author of this work.

 

 

This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the authors prior consent in any form and without similar condition, including this condition, being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

 

Cover art & design by Robert Baines

http://www.designbybertrude.co.uk/

 

Contents

 

Haiku

 

Tanka

 

Selected Poems

 

About the Author

 

About this Book

h3<>{color:#00000a;}.

Haiku

 

 

behind the green hills

a towering grey mountain

slowly drifts by

 

 

*****

 

 

deep slumber

the cockerel crows

sudden dawn

 

 

*****

 

 

two trees

twisted in tight embrace

lovers reunited

 

 

*****

 

 

flowing river

surface still and dark

glistening jelly

 

 

*****

 

 

white and woolly

tail waggling suckling in joy

mother’s milk

 

 

*****

 

 

moss covered

cushioned stone parapet

above the flow

 

 

*****

 

 

canopy of bird song

beneath dappled sunlight

the glittering stream

 

 

*****

 

 

white pussy willow

bursting open consumed

in yellow fire

 

 

*****

 

 

pink petals stuck

a wet circle of blooms

smiling at the sky

 

 

*****

 

 

bus fast approaching

path and wall drenched

the puddle

 

 

*****

 

 

grey clouds sink

below the white bank

under the blue

 

 

*****

 

 

the tree trunk

entwined in vines

coiled snakes

 

 

*****

 

 

haiku my friend

looking listening living

in the moment

 

 

 

Tanka

 

a broad stroke

yellow sand in pigment

blots of grey

the cliff face rising to green

crops flowing in waves

 

 

*****

 

 

winds breath

moving between earth, sea and sky

white wave caps

tree tops shimmer and shake

clouds roll and curl in the blue

 

 

*****

 

 

steep hill

our feet treading lightly on

gliding upwards

hill lifting us higher and higher

thanks given at the summit

 

 

*****

 

 

tea dust

scattered in the sink

water flows

concentric circles appear

peaks and troughs in the waves

 

 

*****

 

 

wood grain

a face appears in profile

hair flowing

the one living forever

many unexpected forms

 

 

*****

 

 

as I walk

the tears run down my cheeks

no one notices

the sky darkens and bursts

rain mingles with tears now hidden

 

 

*****

 

 

livestock lorry

screams down the dusty road

sheep bleating

piss and shit streaming from the rear

we lock eyes between the slats

 

 

*****

 

 

a holy cross

then left of the church roof

a mobile tower

between stand tall green trees

azure clouds melt into the deep blue

 

 

*****

 

 

golf course

wind howling across grass

the hut tips

then rolls like a die

coming up one, it collapses

 

 

*****

 

 

factory wall

grime encrusted vent

jet black

the outline of an angel’s wing

stained glass in negative

 

 

Selected Poems

 

Swing

 

Swinging back and forth

Rope all around

Rocking back and forth

Relaxing my soul

 

World slipping and sliding

Mind calming

Wind caressing my hair

Spirit cleansing

 

Slow swing back

Stream bubbling behind

Slow swing forward

Birds singing ahead

 

Fast swing down

Limbs heavier

Fast swing up

Mood lightening

 

 

Fasting

 

Fasting for health,

two days out of seven

Steady weight loss,

in bed before eleven

 

Now less hungry,

than ever before

Eating food,

no longer a chore

 

When with feelings of hunger,

my body does implore

With stomach rumbling,

food cravings are such a bore

 

Hunger pangs come

Hunger pangs go

But the day goes fast

Not at all slow

 

Should lunch time arrive

And hunger arise

I can take it or leave it

My what a surprise

 

Food now more delicious

Than ever before

Yet my tingling taste buds

No longer cry out for more

 

 

Daddy Daughter Day

 

Daddy daughter day

Going with the flow

Where will we end up

No one could know

 

Perhaps to the park

On the slides and the swings

Hide and seek for a lark

Then aloud she sings

 

Next we may build

A castle on the hill

Where dragons lay siege

And down which princesses spill

 

 

Stripes

 

Cloth tugged and rippled

Winds fluid movements laid bare

 

Pole flexing leeward

Red stripe flowing downward

 

White stripe holding up the centre

Blue triangles supporting the whole

 

 

Release

 

Stretched out and prone

Trying hard not to moan

Fingers press and probe

Her hand caressing my lobe

 

Oil slides across skin

Warming the whole from within

With elbows and arms she digs in

Now the real pain does begin

 

Deep tissue pressure

Can make a man feel lesser

Aromatic scent of oil

My being she does despoil

 

Yet the sweet music sooths my nerves

With final release, such as one deserves

 

 

Sun’s Flower

 

Bursting up

Bursting forth

Heading ever north

 

Climbing high

Up to the sun

Journey now begun

 

Stem stepping

A firm and shapely leg

Half bent as if to beg

 

Petals unfurl

Yellow beams to become

Mirror to our star the sun

 

Pollen glistens

and down from on high

the bees do fly

 

Ample and curvaceous

A soft bed, far from humble

A princely boudoir for the bumble

 

Now descend their cousins,

the bee’s – one, two, three, four

More than ever seen before

 

 

The party

 

Dashing here, rushing there is Mrs Scurry

Always in such a hurry

‘I’m just so busy’ she cries

Yet it rather seems she lies

 

‘I’m really sorry my dear

But I just can’t keep my diary clear

I’m just in such demand you know

I realise that must be such a blow’

 

Hustle and bustle

Bustle and hustle

All such a kafuffle

Departing she dons her duffle

 

Standing rigid arms folded tight

Is Mr Oughtant, oh what a sight

He looks on shaking his head, slow and long

To let all know you’re doing it quite wrong

 

Always ready with sage advice

Even about how one should cook rice

He knows no one knows better than he

And most especially not she

 

Now here we have Mr Laissezfaire

Slumped across the sofa there

Should you request his help and care

He will simply sit and stare

 

Although there are jobs to be done

He would rather be sat on his bum

Were you to ask, what he had on his mind

He would say nothing at all, of any kind

 

Standing over there is Miss Vacance

Gazing afar, glimpsing us askance

Should you ask about her world view

Each day she will tell you something anew

 

Over there is Mr Offisharse, what class

He doesn’t drink from a half filled glass

He likes to dot every ‘i’ and cross every ‘t’

Unwilling to take a break, even to pee

 

Should you suggest the job is now done

You will surely spoil all his fun

For whenever there is one task to do

He can always make it two

Here we have Mr Angry

His fists are ever handy

Should you seek to enter the road

Fist shaking invectives he will unload

 

Should you meet him in a queue

You’ll hear him rail and rage without clue

Should you disagree with his ideas, half baked

A finger in your face he will shake

 

Finally here comes Miss Cheery

Quick and bouncy, eyes never bleary

Always so eager to please

Almost but not quite about to leave

 

Ever ready with something to feed

With fragrant dishes, your nose she’ll lead

Always seen to be laughing and gay

With never a bad word to say

 

Yet when she thinks no one looks

Her face turns down like upturned hooks

To the core, as fragile as glass

Her black dog lurks concealed, alas

 

 

Sheffield

 

Once steel maker for the world

tool maker, arrow forger

Harnesser of the Sheaf’s power

Strong, flexible, sharp

 

Bombed time and time again

Lives blitzed

Lives blighted

Brick and mortar sundered

 

Some call you polluted

Dark, grim and grimy

Some of your children wander poor and hungry

Others can be seen, sunken cheeks and addicted eyes

 

But for those who look down at this city of mine

I say show me another city free of scars

Show me another city

so strong, flexible, sharp

 

Such a city, glimpses of silver through the mist

Building itself, breaking down then rebuilding again

Its children laughing, singing

drinks held aloft

 

Ever changing, adapting

Steel and nanowires hand in hand

Green spaces encircle, embrace

Trees and people grow as one

 

 

 

 

###

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About the author

 

The author admits that he did not really enjoy poetry all that much when he was at school except for E E Cummings who he thought was great. He had a mental image of poets flouncing around in big frilly shirts and swooning over the beauty of buttercups and the like. This really did not draw him to this area of literature.

 

However, having recently read R.H. Blyth’s books on Haiku he felt the unexpected urge to give Haiku a go. The author enjoys the brevity of Haiku which can nonetheless portray vivid images, emotions and thoughts. Haiku explores the essential in the trivial and sees significance in the seemingly insignificant.

 

Furthermore after listening to John Lithgow’s audio book on poetry the author even felt moved to give other forms of poetry a try.

 

P.S. The author is currently searching online for flouncy shirts and quite likes snowdrops.

 

#
h3<>{color:#00000a;}. Should you wish to contact the author his email address is [email protected]

 

For more information about future projects and other publications please visit:

 

www.richardhaiku.wordpress.com

 

https://twitter.com/RichardHaiku

 

 

About this book

 

This book contains Haiku and selected poems, some are based on direct observation of the natural world, others are philosophical and some are of a lighter nature. The author has been published a number of times in the World Haiku Review and the United Haiku and Tanka Society Journal.

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