November 21st

 

rose glow of comfort

caress the saturated

peat drunk on rainfall

October 14th

through a dark filter

sun retired, heavens cleansed of

clouds in starry night

September 25th

determination

the fierce stare into sunset

instinct, confidence

Nothing exciting, just a Haiku about playing football! Quite enjoyed it tonight, competitive. Not all my Haikus are about nature, love or the seasons. Well, ok, this one is a little bit about the seasons, as the pitch is orientated East-West, which means one side stares into the setting sun. But for me that celestial glow produced a god like performance :)

August 28th

 

the light retreating

days curl up in pink sunsets

summer hibernates

a pic I took from our bedroom window

August 8th

a leaping fish breaks

through the ceiling of heaven

and gasps at his world

Was at Box End Lake near Bedford. Beautiful warm evening. Watched Deb and Neil swim, then just watched the stillness of the lake at sunset when they disappeared to the far end. I noticed fish were leaping out of the water, twisting in mid air then flopping back in.

I know, I know, more lazy anthropomorphism. I’m giving a fish a concept of self, world and desire for adventure in this Haiku, but have you ever interviewed a fish? You might be surprised.

However, a more plausible explanation for this behaviour is they might have been trying to escape from the alpha hunter in the lake, big bruising Pike live in it. Mind your toes!

My pic from Box End.

July 30th

 

naked athletes run

laconic warriors box

under golden skies

I do like the Olympics, but the whole commercialism of sport pisses me right off. Many fans have missed out on tickets because sponsors have lapped up loads. I don’t really see a trickle down of wealth coming down to your average worker or independent trader as the money seems to have corralled by some key corporations.

I wonder what the Olympics would be like if we reverted to the Ancient format of the games, with Chariot racing for instance. I’m not that keen on naked running / wrestling, but hey, if it makes it authentic, why not. (other people competing, not me!).

As I watched the games, I took this photo from our living room window.

May 24th

 

The Devil’s wisdom

sanctity of solitude

stares through hollow souls

After playing football, I decided to make use of the beautifully warm evening and take a run up Pegsdon Hills. Getting to the top at sunset you are rewarded with the fiery end of the day. There was a haze in the sky, it was particularly red. And the black sheep with their peculiarly sinister horns were amassed, giving me the opportunity to take some wonderful pictures (even if I do say so myself!) of them and the stunted little hawthorns, some of which were starting to bloom.

Sheep and goats have got a rough deal over the centuries, their features and eyes giving them a devilish appearance. But you know, it isn’t their fault we stuck a label on them :)

I love going to the hills, it gives time to think, there’s rarely people up there. Solitude and reflection is something to treasure.

May 23rd

Shaded by rowan

to rest on a bed of leaves

listening to doves

Our cat Katie has been labouring with a back injury of late, she hasn’t got the confidence in springing at the moment, so on vet’s instruction we’re monitoring her, to see if she’s showing any improvement.

It may be that’s she’s just getting old of course, poor thing. She likes it when we’re outside, she feels safe around us, knowing we’ll look after her and the likelihood of her having to sprint away from danger is minimal.

Well, today, what with it being beautifully hot, even into the evening, I fully expected her to lie in his usual spot, a little curled cat shaped indentation in the leaf litter, wedged between the trunk of the rowan tree and the edge of the decking. She didn’t oblige me as she wanted to stay up on the table of course.

I love that cat’s are so fickle. So this Haiku is for Katie, we love her very much!

May 16th

 

Far from home I long

for a familiar face

and she obliges

Stuck in Warrington for work. Nice sunset from my hotel room window. I took a pic. And below the pic is a beautiful song by Jon Redfern, called “I love the sun”. Deeply melancholy, to me it talks of passing seasons and lost loved ones, how the sun can revive you in times of sadness and reflection. Much lovelier words than my Haiku.

“I love the sun, I love the sun
It shines down on everyone
I count the days, I count the days
Winter comes and daylight fades
Where are you now, where are you now
Friends I've seen go to the clouds”

April 13th

 

Stormcocks drive away

the would be thief, their proud chests

puffed out and burly

 

Two haiku’s today. And some photographs from our lovely walk in the moors. The first one is about a pair of Mistle Thrushes who we witnessed chase off a magpie. I don’t think they would have built a nest yet, perhaps they were just defending the tree they’d decided to root in. Stormcock is an old English name for them. Quite an evocative one too as it honours their behaviour, singing from a high vantage point, even in the worst weather, almost in defiance or celebration of it. They seem fearless and fearsome birds. Unafraid to wade in. And they way they present themselves, chests out, head high, confident, noisy and musical. I’d never seen one before, so was quite exciting for me.

 

Silhouetted crow

black feathers consume the sun

dying in embers

 

The second Haiku relates to the following photo I took. About crows again, I keep going on about them. “Why don’t you marry one?” I hear you shout. It was just a lucky shot. but I’m very proud of it.

We also saw a skylark at ground level, I’d only ever seen them high up, singing their little hearts out. It disappeared into a field of rape. It sung, sung and kept singing all the way down, till it landed. Then it shut up. It landed in the vicinity of this patch!

A sunset pic

A puffball(?) on the trunk of a dead silver birch.

Finally, a pretty little long-tailed tit, whispering away with its mates in this hawthorn blossom. It sat long enough for me to zoom right in on him.

March 6th

An orange ribbon,

Rolled out between the willows,

Dressing the dark moor.

 

January 12th

Had a really lovely day yesterday, we went into London in the evening, popped to the Hayward Gallery for a look at the “Not a pop up” kick off for Nobrow books, a brilliant up and coming book and graphic novel publisher.

We bought some lovely books and postcards and then moved onto the BFI where we watched the whole first series of Look Around You (classic BBC science spoof series for the uninitiated, taking the piss out of 70’s/80’s schools and colleges science programmes). And there was a Q&A at the end with Wossy and the writers/stars/director of the show.

But my Haiku is not about any of that… it was about the incredible sunset as we drove to the station. So…

 

Rose Petals Falling,

Behind the sun’s chariot,

Surrenders the day.