wild river

As the Katsuragawa is still not prepared to receive haikuists, here is a peace offering to rainy season rivers:

a swallow flits
from treeshadow
skimming the wild river,
lost in the gathering sky

St. Albans Ginko

On Tanabata, I went with an old friend, Kim Richardson, to see Hailstone contributor, Jonathan Gott, in his hometown of St. Albans, to the north of London. It was a pleasant early summer day with a hint of rain in the air. Jon was in good form, and he led us on a gentle ginko tour of the ancient city, replete with its Roman ruins, magnificent medieval cathedral and its quaint winding streets. Jon hasn't yet sent me any of his haiku from the day. Perhaps this will encourage him to post one? For now, then, one of mine ...

A dove, snug
On the sign to the Hypocaust -
Clearing showers.

... and a senryu of Kim's ...

'I like a good bum on a woman'
he says, picking up
his knife and fork

Summer Evening on the Water-postponed

Summer Evening on the Water-Boat Cruising on the Oi River, Arashiyama, and Kukai
DATE CHANGED again (because of bad weather):
August 3 (Thursday) 18:00 - 21:00
RENDEZVOUS (not changed):
18:00 Hankyu Arashiyama Station, just out of the ticket gate.
Please apply to the organizers, Jane Wieman or Keiko Yurugi, or through the comment button under this post.

Spoiled parade

Today, the Grand Gion Gathering, got soaked aplenty. Horrendous downpours interspersed with fine mists between drizzles. Altogether, not much fun. Not much poetry, either. Nevertheless, a damp attempt:

wooden wheels grinding bamboo sliders
into splinters, grieving Gion

damp Gion's smells and sounds:
grunting men pelted by cats-and-dogs

The Kyushu greens

Just returned from a week in Miyazaki, to give a talk on Prints and Poetry at Miyazaki International College, and visit a new museum for exhibition discussion. Didn't take one week. So, went here and there drawing pastels and composing poems. Here's one:
in the lashing rain
a storm of confused
intentions; hers vs mine

green rain, uplifted face
of a child beneath a palm;
I smile, he nods

young, shy, curious, cautious;
licks my wrist, slobbers a bit,
pretty cow