Most days, I exhibit a certain lack of concern in my eye ...

 

 

 

... to this day rarely, if ever, to be challenged.

Pierce

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Pierce County corn fields --
a little bit raggedy

the closer you get

 

 

Summer moon

 

summer moon--
a drop of sweat

on Shiki's tanka

window

 

 

 people in each window--
a lawn freshly mowed
lies between us

 

U.S., Ukraine expand program to relocate Ukrainians to Japan

 

Omicron

 

 

cutting grass --

the shadow of Omicron

close on my heels

.

thin heat

 

a war brews

continents away --

 this thin heat

Elon

blood red moon --

Elon's satellites

mar the night sky      

the oarsman

 

 

verdant now, a forest

rises above the banks--
the oarsman

struggling upstream

 

 

 

April Fools ~ Yotsumono 

 

April Fool

  

loose ice clogs the river,

a snow drift crowds the bridge --

April Fool's Day

 

  Scott Ritter: Battle of the Donbass

Swede Hollow

 

 

 

Maidan

 
I'd just spent time analyzing my troublesome laptop with a computer tech, online, in the winter of 2014. This guy was different than any I'd spoken to before. He'd just recommended a competitor over his own software. I wanted to know more about the man.

"Where are you from, friend?"

"Ukraine."

His tone belied a weight as though burdened with some calculation - I'd heard of trouble. Not many others had. I couldn't quite phrase the question, fresh on my mind, uncertain as I was in how to frame it.
 

All I could muster was to ask about the weather. Where I live, we boast of our Latitude, as though it's some great fete to survive such extremes.




Maidan -
the technician reports,
"it's cold as fuck"

cold moon

 

 

 

little village

 

 

this time every year

a little village springs up --

ice on the St. Croix

 

 

 

 

last man

 

 

last man standing--

dry socks, a pack of winstons

and johnny walker black

dark chocolate

 

 

 

Yotsumono: November (2017)

 

 

 

 November --
countless raindrops to measure
the length of a day


a veil of frost
tints Johari's window


ranks of children
prone and obedient
to a flickering image


Lebensraum,
a none too distant dream

 

 

Little Ice Age; Skating on the Thames

 

:::;;;

 

 

icicles

 

 

 

Keller

 

 

 

 

 

clear day

 

 

 

Schengen

 

 

bird house

 

 

it's raining

 

 

 

rooms

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

land lines

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

moon viewing

 

 

Genjuan Ends ... With A Book!

 

 Dear haiku friends,

I hope this email finds you in good health in spite of the pandemic we are living through. 

I thought you might want to know that the Genjuan International Haibun Contest has decided to call it a day with this year's Contest, so there will be none in 2022. The reason is simple (unconnected with coronavirus!): neither judges, nor officer wished to go on. It has always been hard work and with no revenue from entry fees, an act of charity attempting to better connect Japan with the rest of the world of haiku. This has continued for 13 years (incl. the forerunning Kikakuza Contest). Other things must be done instead. If you have or know of a suitable newsletter or webpage, it might be nice for your readers to read know this news in advance. 

As a final act, the Hailstone Haiku Circle (based in Kansai, Japan), which has been running the Contest for the past 8 years, has just published an anthology of awarded pieces from the last 4 years (+ judges' comments, judges' haibun, new trans. of Kyorai, Basho, Kikaku, and illustrations by Buson and Taiga). It can be ordered from overseas sales officer, Hitomi Suzuki here: indigoapple28@gmail.com 

It costs ￥1,400 (or US$ 18 airmail). Picture of the cover and more details are here at our Icebox site: https://hailhaiku.wordpress.com/2021/07/22/the-latest-and-last-genjuan-anthology/

Even without buying the book, you can read just the top four works from each year at that site by clicking the appropriate 'Genjuan Awarded Pieces' link at the top. 

Thanks in advance for anything you can do to get the word out.

 

Respectfully,

Stephen Gill