late November

late November —
game after game
of solitaire

holiday traffic

holiday traffic —
I don’t care about
your honor student

Thanksgiving traffic

Thanksgiving traffic —
all those turkeys
behind the wheel

the last dogwood leaf

the last dogwood leaf —
forgetting where
I put the rake

photo by mmm

new moon

new moon —
my eyes adjust
to a stronger prescription

last of the home brew

last of the home brew
my boss announces
his resignation

dusk

dusk
she darkens
her eye shadow

Santa is Everywhere

photo by mmm

waking from a dream (a haibun)

Things got weird in a hurry and stayed that way, even when they ultimately parachuted to a tidy conclusion. You morphed and shifted in both appearance and tone, troubled, distracted, indifferent. You were beautiful, harsh and fragile, enigmatic and impossible. Together we were awkward and unprepared: you took phone calls and flirted with my brother, who made an inexplicable cameo. I slept in a stranger’s house for an hour or so rather than making an early entrance. It was improbable and chaotic, all nerves and second-guessing. “Why is she crying?” your sister asked. “Why am I here?” I replied. Parting was classic art house fare: sleeping soundly at last, I opened my eyes and said goodbye.

waking from a dream
mist turns to rain
and back again

November fog

November fog —
an unpaid bill
in the recycle bin

Veteran's Day

Veteran’s Day —
a frightened dog
at the animal shelter

November sun

November sun —
let’s ignore the unraked leaves
just one more day

a beer is a poem is a hand grenade

a beer is a poem is a hand grenade
chasing the birds
from every gray and leafless tree
framing the horizon
of impossible drunken haze
and staggering to the bitter music
of a cocktail napkin haiku.

November rain

November rain —
the conductor sneaks a smoke
between stops

changes...

changes in Congress —
the dog chases a crow
from the compost pile

Election Night

Election Night —
the sparks from a cigarette
thrown at my feet

Election Day

Election Day —
my socks
don’t match

hunter's moon

hunter’s moon —
the tension at the end
of the dog’s leash

All Soul's Day

All Soul’s Day —
a sudden craving
for fried chicken

Day of the Dead

 

Day of the Dead —
the NASDAQ down
by 32 points

 

 

photo by mmm